Stand By Me
by writerchic16
Summary: Andrew, Gloria, Tess, and Monica help a family who lost a loved one in the September 11th attacks six years ago.
1. Prologue

Stand By Me

A/N: This is one of my first serious attempts at a TBAA story. I actually got into the show when it was replaying on the Hallmark channel, and got through the last couple of seasons before they took it off the air. Hopefully I saw enough that everyone is in character. Also, while I have my favorite angels, I try to spread the section point of views out evenly. So while this prologue is from Gloria's POV, there will also be Andrew sections, Tess sections, and so on.

After watching a heart-wrenching documentary of the September 11 attacks, I decided I needed to write _something_ about its aftermath. My heart goes out to all those who were affected by the tragedy.

* * *

Gloria sat on the windowsill of a kindergarten classroom, watching as five-year-old children ran around the room. It was play time for the next twenty minutes. Children colored at their desks, played dress up in one corner, dolls in the other, or played house. The only adult in sight was a young woman teacher, who went around checking on all the students. 

Excitement bubbled up inside Gloria, so much so that she had to keep herself from kicking her heels against the wall they sat on. She'd already done that once, and Tess had sent her one of those "looks." But Gloria couldn't help herself. She loved working with children. In some aspects she was one, since she was only "born" a few years ago. But she wasn't here to play – she was here to work.

"They're all so cute, aren't they?" Gloria remarked. She was sitting next to Monica, who was standing and also surveying the scene. Tess stood next to her, wearing a much less enchanted expression than the other two.

Monica nodded in agreement. "Yes. Innocent, every one of them, with no idea of the wonders, and horrors, they will one day experience. It's a time in a human's life that should be cherished."

"Not all lives are so uncorrupted though," Tess said, giving a heavy sigh.

Gloria and Monica stared at her. Well, first Gloria stared at her own supervisor. "Monica, what is she talking about?"

"I'm not sure," Monica admitted. "I just know that we're going to be teaching this class very soon. Me as the teacher, you as my helper."

"Really? We're going to be working together?" Gloria squealed. This was turning out to be a great assignment. First she got to work with children, and now she got to stay close to her favorite angel.

Monica smiled. "Yes, I'm excited too. Our assignment is that little boy. Well, yours," she amended, pointing out a little boy sitting by himself, coloring a picture. He was dressed in clean jeans and a t-shirt. Shaggy brown hair fell over green eyes that were deepened in concentration on the picture. "His name is Chris Jameson. This is his first year of school, and he's very shy. Mostly because his mother hasn't taught him to socialize with other children on his own. _My_ assignment is his mother, Daphne, but…I don't know why yet."

"I'll fill you in, Angel Girl," Tess offered. "His father, also Chris, was a businessman. He worked in the World Trade Center."

Gloria gasped, along with Monica. She hadn't been assigned to the attack sight, because she'd just been born, but she heard stories about it from the older angels. "Oh no, Tess, you mean that little boy's father…"

"Yes, baby," Tess replied, sadness in her tone. "Daphne was pregnant with Chris when the towers came down. She was left to raise him on her own…and hasn't handled it well so far. Chris Sr.'s body was never found, and she never had closure. The first year she spent grieving. Then when the baby was born, she clung on to the only piece of her husband she had left…his son. Her life became so focused around Chris that she's separated herself from her family, who kept insisting she needs counseling.

"This assignment comes in three parts. Gloria, you will help the boy overcome his shyness and the loss of his father. It didn't bother him so much before, but now that he's in school, he's beginning to wonder why he doesn't have a father, like all the other children do. He knows his father passed away, but doesn't quite grasp what that means.

"Monica, you are assigned to Daphne, to help her see her overprotective tendencies, and convince her that her and Chris need professional help. Me, I'm going to be a neighbor, someone who wants to create a 9/11 memorial in the neighborhood. I'm going to help her realize she can't keep her grief bottled up inside, that she needs to share her story so others can heal too."

Wiping a tear from her eye, Gloria reflected on the news. _How could someone so innocent be affect by something so…malicious?_ It didn't seem possible, but she knew that unfortunately on Earth, those types of things were very possible.

Monica spoke after a moment. "Is Andrew working with us?"

"In a little while. For now he's assigned to Daphne's twin brother, Jacob, and the rest of her family, including her mother and father. I'm not sure what he's doing, but I'm sure we'll be seeing him soon," Tess assured her.

Now having shared all the important information, the three went back to observing the group. Gloria's gaze fell on a little girl playing dolls with her classmates. The blonde-haired girl kept staring in the angels' direction. Finally, the child got up and walked over to them, a doll in hand. Holding it out to Gloria, she offered, "Do you want to play?"

"O-of course," Gloria replied, confused. The three angels were supposed to be invisible to the human eye. As she was pulled in the direction of the doll house, she sent a helpless look in her superior's direction. "Why can she see me?"

The two older angels laughed as they joined Gloria and the young girl. "She's a child, Gloria," Monica explained. "Often, children can see us when older humans can't. It's part of their willingness to see what shouldn't be able to be seen."

"Oh, in that case…" Gloria trailed off, smiling at the young girl.

The girl held up a pretend kettle. The dolls were arranged in a circle for a tea party. "Do you want some tea?"

Gloria chuckled. "Sure, I'd love some."


	2. Chapter 1

A/N: Just to let you know, "Bluestone" isn't an actual town in Queens. I decided to make one up, because I live in Queens, and using an actual town would just be weird, lol. Enjoy the chapter!

* * *

**Chapter 1**

Standing on a front porch, Andrew rang the doorbell of his charge's home. It was a nice house, not large but not small either, typical middle class – the kind that was typical in this suburb of Queens, New York. As he waited for his charge to answer the door, he thought about how amazing it was that the September 11 attacks were already six years ago, while he remembered it like it was yesterday. Honestly, he didn't _want_ to remember it. All those souls to take home at once…

Thankfully the door opened, sparing Andrew from further recollection. A muscular light-green eyed man with reddish-brown hair and an average height gave him a polite smile. "Hello," Andrew greeted, shaking his head to clear it of his previous thoughts. "Are you Jacob Miller?"

"Yes, how can I help you?" Jacob asked.

"My name is Andrew, and I'm from the Bluestone Social Club," Andrew began. "You are the brother-in-law of the late Chris Jameson?"

The smile faltered a bit as Jacob replied, "Yes. I belong to the Club as well. Funny, I don't remember seeing you there."

"I just moved here and joined to meet some neighbors. Apparently they stick the new members with the leg work," Andrew joked lightly.

Jacob chuckled. "That sounds like them. So what about Chris? And why are you here – my sister still lives in the area."

"Well, we tried to contact her, but apparently she moved since Chris was a member, and we don't have her new phone number," Andrew explained. "You see, we're trying to straighten out the main building, and came across some of Chris' old papers Would you like me to bring them by tomorrow?"

There was a short pause. Jacob's expression was unreadable, though it was obvious the subject unnerved him. "Um, sure. I know Daphne wouldn't want you to throw them out, though I'm sure they're nothing but bank statements and that sort of thing. Sometimes he used the club as a home office while Daphne was away on business. Said it got too quiet."

"If you don't mind me saying so, I'm sorry about Chris. I was told what happened when I found out I was to contact you," Andrew replied, glad the man hadn't closed the door in his face, From what he knew, Jacob and his family hadn't kept in contact with Daphne when she shut them out. But apparently Jacob didn't let his current relationship with his twin affect his memories of Chris. "Were you and Chris close?"

Jacob nodded. "When Daphne met him, he fit right in. Like the brother I never had, you know? Since she's a PR person for a big company, Daphne traveled a lot. He and I would hang out, go to games…typical guy stuff. I'm the one who got him to join the Club when he and Daphne moved to the neighborhood."

"I've heard a lot about Daphne, and I'd love to meet her," Andrew said.

Tensing, Jacob's grip on the doorknob tightened. "We, ah, don't speak much any more since she moved…"

A crash sounded from inside the house. Jacob glanced back, then turned to Andrew and sighed. "Hey, Andrew, I'm really sorry about this, but I think one of the kids broke one of my wife's lamps or something. See you tomorrow?"

"See you," Andrew agreed. Jacob closed the door as he walked back down the porch steps.

Jacob seemed perfectly normal. He'd been polite, even friendly towards someone just showing up at his doorstep. Andrew had a feeling that his assignment was only partly to help Jacob deal with Chris' death. The other, and much bigger part, would be getting him to reconnect with his twin.

_My work might be cut out for me there,_ Andrew mused.

* * *

"Finish up your letters, children," Monica instructed. They were reaching the end of the day, and she had to smile. Gloria sat on the windowsill again, this time looking as if she might pass out. Keeping track of twenty kindergartners was no easy feat. "Raise your hand when you're done, and either Gloria or I will check your work. Then you can begin to put your supplies away and get your coats." 

"Yes, Miss Monica," the group chorused. The room fell into silence as they began their work, the quiet broken every once in a while by a whisper or two. Leaving the teacher's desk, Monica went to sit next to Gloria. "How are you holding up?"

Her breath heavy, Gloria struggled to sit up straight. "Not very well, I'm afraid. I've been in human form for so long, and running after five-year-olds all day is hard. How do humans do it?"

"It is amazing, isn't it?" Monica chuckled. It was halfway through the fall season, so Monica was acting as a substitute for the regular teacher, who would be conveniently taking a trip to visit family in Europe for the next two weeks.

Gloria sighed, her gaze falling on Chris. While the children at his table chatted around him, he stayed quiet, focusing on his work. "I did try to reach him during free time," Gloria said after moment, knowing her supervisor would want a report. "He's just so…shy. Much shier than any five-year-old should be. I suggested that he play with the other children but…" She shrugged helplessly.

"It's only the first day. These things take time," Monica reminded her. They chatted for a few minutes, laughing over some of the other children's actions during the day. Children then began to raise their hands for the teachers to check their work.

Before long, all were pulling on their coats and lining up at the door. Chris was one of the last to join the line, only talking with one student for a brief second. Leading them out of the classroom, Monica took them out the side door of the school, where their parents would pick them up. Several parents approached Monica, and one of the first was Daphne.

"I wasn't aware that Ms. Wilson was going on vacation," Daphne said, her vivid green eyes regarding Monica with suspicion, her styled auburn hair falling around her shoulders. She was a slim woman, dressed in slacks and a blouse. Chris stood in front of his mother, her hands on each of his shoulders.

Monica gave what she hoped was a reassuring smile. "It was abrupt, I'm afraid. She's visiting family in Europe."

"No one sick, I hope," Daphne remarked.

The obvious pry for information didn't surprise Monica. She had a feeling that Daphne got to know anyone who interacted with her son. "Oh, no, I think she mentioned something about her sister eloping and inviting the family at last minute. Romantic, isn't it?"

"Yes," Daphne replied. "So, how long will she be gone?"

"About two weeks," Monica answered.

Satisfied for the moment, Daphne nodded. "Alright, then. It was nice meeting you…I'm sorry, I didn't even get your name. I'm Daphne."

"Monica. Gloria's my helper. She's over there, if you wish to speak to her as well," Monica offered, pointing to where the angel was chatting with some parents.

Daphne shook her head. "Maybe tomorrow, we have somewhere to go."

"Oh well, if you don't mind, I wanted to speak to you about something," Monica said. "You see, I was thinking of putting together a little field trip for the children, maybe to the local library or park. I need chaperones, so if you or your husband…"

"My husband passed away several years ago," Daphne snapped, bitterness dripping from her words.

Monica swallowed the lump in her throat. She'd known that, of course. She'd just brought it up to keep pretenses – a substitute teacher wouldn't know anything about a student's family history. But there were times like these when she wished she could just reveal what she was and start helping her case directly, rather than spend all this time breaking the ice. "Oh, I'm sorry. But if _you_…"

"Of course, I'm always a chaperone," Daphne interrupted. "Just let me know what day so I can take off from work."

Looking around at the other mothers, Monica suggested, "Well, I've been asking around, and some of the mothers stay at home and would be happy to fill in. It must be inconvenient having to take off so much…"

"Not at all. Like I said, _I can do it_. Have a good afternoon," Daphne retorted. Without waiting for a reply, she whirled around and went to her car, Chris at her side.

_That could have gone better_, Monica thought. Letting out a deep breath, she went off to see how Gloria was doing.

* * *

Putting her purse strap over her shoulder, Daphne stepped out of the car. After picking Chris up at school, she'd driven them to the town library. She and her son shared a love of books, so this was something she made sure they had time for at least once a week. 

_Some of the mothers stay at home…_Daphne frowned at the substitute teacher's words. While Monica may not have meant it, Daphne took it as an insult to her dedication as a mother. In reality, that couldn't have been farther from the truth. Unlike "some of the mothers," she couldn't afford to stay at home all day while her husband made money for the family. But she wasn't about become one of those parents who left their kid with an after-school program that she wasn't comfortable trusting. So instead, she went to work at seven so she could be out at three, and let a neighbor she'd known for years watch Chris in the morning.

Her frown deepened as she thought of Monica again, and how odd it was that there was a substitute and the regular teacher never sent out a notice about it. Not to mention that she never got Monica's last name. Daphne would have to correct that tomorrow.

"Come on, Chris," Daphne called, holding her son's hand as they walked into the library.

They walked through the door, and Chris went to the children's section, saying hello to a few classmates who were there as well. But then he took out a book and sat down to read by himself.

Daphne sighed while she took up position near the doorway of the children's room. While she wished Chris would socialize more, she just didn't know what to do. If he wasn't a social child, she wasn't going to force him to be anything else.

"Can I help you, baby?"

Blinking in surprise, Daphne found a heavy-set African American woman standing before her. _What did she just call me?_ "I-I…I'm sorry, who are you?"

"Sorry for startling you," the woman chuckled. "I'm Tess, the new assistant librarian. Just moved into the neighborhood. And you are?"

"Daphne," Daphne answered, shaking the hand Tess held out.

Looking into the children's room, Tess asked, "Is he yours?"

"Yes. Chris," Daphne replied, looking at Tess with a wary eye.

"Well, he seems to be doing alright," Tess noted. "Do you want me to show you some of the new books we have? There are some good ones, if I do say so myself."

Glancing at Chris, Daphne figured it wouldn't do any harm. She could still see her son from the "New Additions" table. "What do you recommend?"

Tess held up a hardcover with a picture of the World Trade Center on the cover. "This was excellent. All about the families who lost loved ones due to the attack."

"No thank you," Daphne said, her tone curt. Tess didn't press any more, and Daphne wasn't about to offer an explanation. Swallowing the lump in her throat, she gave Tess a tight smile. "If you'll excuse me, I need to keep an eye on my son. I'll be sure to check out some of the new releases when Chris is done."

Tess nodded, and she walked away. Funny, but Daphne could've sworn she heard the woman let out a deep sigh.


	3. Chapter 2

A/N: Sorry for the typos so far. I have a habit of posting stuff without reading it through first, heh. Thanks to LittleGloriaFaith24 for the reviews!

* * *

**Chapter 2**

The next day, Gloria and Monica adjusted to their new roles. Monica was a wonderful kindergarten teacher, and spent the morning going over the alphabet with the class. Meanwhile, Gloria did side tasks like handing out snacks, taking children to the bathroom, and helping them with the individual work they were assigned. And Gloria wasn't as tired as she was yesterday, since she was getting used to being in her human form for so long, but then again…they hadn't gotten to free time yet.

"That's great, Fiona!" Gloria said, looking over the girl's shoulder at her letter 'D.' It was the same girl who saw Gloria while in angel form. Gloria was sure the girl knew the angel's true identity but wasn't saying anything. But there was really nothing Gloria could do about that. And thankfully it wasn't her fault, otherwise Gloria was sure she would have received a lecture from Tess about the importance of being inconspicuous.

The young girl grinned, her brown eyes shining. "Thanks Miss Gloria." Then Fiona leaned in, as if wanting to share a secret.

Squatting down so she was at the same level, Gloria asked, "What is it?"

"How come you aren't glowing, like you were the other day? Or Miss Monica – she was glowing too," Fiona whispered.

Gloria gave her a weak smile. _Uh oh_. "I-I….I'll have to get back to you on that. Excuse me." Then she bolted to the front of the classroom towards Monica's desk. "Monica!"

"What's the matter?" Monica asked, wrinkling her brow in concern.

Lowering her voice, Gloria explained, "That girl, Fiona – the one who could see us while we were in our angel forms? She just asked me why we aren't glowing, _like we were the other day_. I think she knows we're angels."

Monica hesitated for a moment, looking at Fiona with curiosity. "Hm…Well, I did say that sometimes children can see us, but most of the time the memory of having done so fades very quickly. There must be some reason why she remembers. There _are_ certain humans who have a sensitivity to us."

"Really?" Gloria asked, surprised. "So, what do we do?"

"There's no harm in telling her who we are, just as long as she understands that it wouldn't be wise to tell anyone," Monica reasoned, then added after a moment, "Then again, five-year-olds aren't known for their ability to keep secrets."

"I guess we'll just have to tell her the next time she asks, because we can't lie to her," Gloria agreed.

Sighing, Monica said, "Hopefully she'll understand that she can't tell anyone, then. It would be upsetting if that little girl were teased, or worse, for believing in angels."

_Poor Fiona,_ Gloria thought. "Well, I'll talk to her after I check on Chris during free time. When is that, by the way?"

Monica glanced at her watch. "Right about…now." Clearing her throat, she instructed, "Alright, children. Put down your pencils, it's free time."

There was a general mixture of noises as children slid back chairs and ran to various parts of the room. Once again Chris sat by himself, this time playing with some action figures.

_Here we go_, Gloria thought, glancing at Monica. The Irish angel gave her an encouraging smile. Swallowing the nervous lump in her throat, Gloria went over and sat next to Chris. "Hi. You're Chris, right?"

"Yeah…" Chris answered, only half paying attention to her as he played with his toys.

Steadying her nerves, Gloria pressed, "Good, because I don't think I asked you that yesterday. Why don't you go play with some of the other children? Some of the other boys are making bugs out of Play-Doh…I'm sure it's really gross…" She added that last part when she remembered that young boys often _liked_ disgusting things.

Chris seemed to consider it, then shrugged. "No thanks, Miss Gloria."

_Great, just great,_ Gloria thought. She stayed in her seat though, knowing that both Tess _and_ Monica would disapprove if she gave up after that. "So, um, why are you here by yourself?"

"I dunno," Chris replied, shrugging again. "I'm used to it, I guess. And Mommy says I don't have to play with other kids if I don't want to."

Gloria frowned at that. It was one thing not to force your child to do something he doesn't want to do. But…all kids needed that little push to play with others. "And why don't you want to?"

"They don't want to play with me," Chris answered, as if convinced of the fact.

"Do you know that for sure?" Gloria went on. "Have you asked them? Maybe they think _you_ don't want to play with them."

Chris shook his head. "No they don't. And it's gonna feel bad when they say they don't."

"Oh…so you're afraid of getting hurt…" Gloria trailed off, beginning to understand Chris' thinking. "Did you get that from your mommy?"

"Yeah. She says that a lot of people can hurt me, so it's better to stay away from them," Chris explained. He'd stopped playing with his action figures now, his focus on Gloria. It was an accusing stare, as if he were trying to figure out why she was talking to him.

_What has Daphne done to this little boy?_ Gloria thought with bewilderment. "Well, people _can_ hurt you," Gloria agreed, "But a lot of the time they don't. Think of what you're missing out on."

When Chris didn't say anything, Gloria held back a groan. If she had the same guts as Tess or Monica, she would have a stern talk with Chris' mother. But Daphne wasn't her assignment – Chris was. And if Gloria forgot that, both her supervisors would be quick to remind her.

Looking around the classroom, Gloria's gaze fell on Fiona. She was playing house with some of the other girls. Then Gloria got an idea.

"I'll be back in a minute," Gloria assured Chris, approaching Fiona. Tapping the girl on the shoulder, she asked, "Can I talk to you?"

Without hesitation, Fiona told her friends she'd be back and went to talk to her teacher. "Yes, Miss Gloria?"

"You see that boy over there?" Gloria began, pointing to Chris.

Fiona nodded. "Chris? What about him?"

"Why don't you go over and play with him?" Gloria suggested, taking some coloring books and crayons from the shelves and handing them to Fiona.

Handing the books back, Fiona replied, "He's a _boy_. And he doesn't say anything."

"Please?" Gloria said. "He's a nice boy, and I think he needs a friend."

Fiona paused for a moment. "Are you an angel?"

Startled, Gloria blinked a few times. "I'm sorry?"

"Are you an angel?" Fiona asked again. "Here for Chris, because his daddy went to Heaven when he was little."

Amazed by the girl's insight, Gloria nodded. "Yes, I am. But don't tell anyone, okay? Then it will be harder to help Chris."

"Alright," Fiona agreed, a bit reluctantly.

_I hope she means that,_ Gloria thought. Out of curiosity she asked, "How did you know about Chris' daddy?"

"My mommy was talking about it with someone else's mommy," Fiona explained. "She called Ms. Jameson the 'B word' because Chris' mommy thinks she's better than the other mommies."

Gloria stifled a gasp, horrified that someone would say that in front of a child. Hopefully Fiona's mother hadn't known her daughter was listening. "_Oh_. Well, um, why don't you go play with Chris, please? You can be my special helper. Even angels need help sometimes, you know."

"This is going to be so much fun!" Fiona squealed, taking the coloring books and running towards Chris.

"Fiona!" Gloria called. When the young girl turned around, Gloria put a finger to her lips, reminding her that it was a secret.

Her eyes widened – clearly she had forgotten that already. Before sitting down next to Chris, Fiona gave Gloria a thumbs-up sign.

* * *

Chris snuck a peak at the boys at the other table while he played with the action figures. They _did_ look like they were having fun, and the bugs they were making were so cool. Shaking his head, he tore his eyes away. Fear kept him from going over there. Even Miss Gloria had said that people _did_ hurt, sometimes. And his mommy said it _all_ the time. 

Though now that he thought about it, he couldn't figure why Miss Gloria was talking to him so much. Fiona mentioned that she thought there was something weird about both Miss Gloria _and_ Miss Monica, but Chris knew she was just being silly. People were people – what else could they be? "_She's_ the weird one," he muttered under his breath.

When he looked up again, none other than Fiona Giambelli was approaching him, her arms laden with coloring books and crayons. "Hey Chris," she greeted, dumping the items on the table in front of him.

"What are you doing, Fi?" Chris asked.

The blonde shrugged, opening one of the books and crayon boxes. "I just thought you might be lonely, over here by yourself."

"I saw you talking to Miss Gloria," Chris remarked. "Did she tell you to come over here?"

Giving him a challenging look, Fiona retorted, "So what if she did? You want me to go away now?"

Chris sighed. "Why is Miss Gloria paying so much attention to _me_?"

"Because she…" Fiona trailed off, as if suddenly deciding to say something other than what she was going to. "…she cares about you. She's worried that you sit by yourself so much. Why _do_ you sit by yourself so much?"

"I want to," Chris snapped. It was none of Fiona's beeswax why he wanted to do what he did. And she was a _girl_ – was she crazy coming over to sit next to him, _alone_? "Fi, _why are you here_?"

Fiona gave him a tired glare. "Because _I_ want to. So there."

Well, there was nothing he could say to that. "So there" meant there was no room for argument. Any kid understood that. "Fine," he grumbled.

"Aren't you going to color?" Fiona asked, nudging the other coloring book closer to him.

Chris was about to say no, but something made him put down the action figures and start thinking about what picture he wanted to color. Maybe, and he would never admit this, but maybe he thought it was nice that Fiona was talking to him. "So…" he said, trying to think of something interesting to say. "Miss Monica said we might go on a field trip next week. That sounds fun."

"Yeah, as long as your mom doesn't..." Fiona stopped mid-sentence, realizing what she was about to say. As his eyes narrowed in anger, she added quickly, "I'm sorry Chris, it's just that your mom…isn't as fun as some of the other moms. My mommy said she wants to come."

"Well, that's too bad, because my mommy says she's coming," Chris replied.

There was an awkward silence, and finally Fiona asked, "Chris…what happened to your daddy?"

Taken aback by the question, Chris almost said that _that_ was none of her beeswax either. But she seemed so interested, like she really cared. "He…he went to work one day," Chris said, remembering the little bits that his mother told him every now and then. "But there was a big fire at his office. He couldn't get out in time. Mommy says he's in Heaven now, but I'm not so sure. We never went to Church a lot when he was alive."

"I'm sorry," Fiona said after a moment. "And Chris…your daddy _is_ in Heaven. Trust me."

Chris stared at her as she went back to her coloring. For some reason, he knew he was right. "Okay, I will,' he whispered. Then he picked a crayon out of the box, and colored until it was time to go back to class.

* * *

Tess kept an eye on the door of the library while she organized some books. Her angel babies would be there in a few minutes, but they weren't who she was watching out for. 

Catching a book that almost fell, she put it back and returned to her task. The tedious work had a calming effect, and the quiet of the library only helped. Times like these during cases were nice – they reminded Tess of the everydayness of human life, which was easily forgotten by an angel such as herself. Whenever she interacted with humans, it was because they were in trouble of some kind.

_Crash._

Tess whirled around…and chuckled. One of the new workers was accident-prone. This wasn't the first time he'd caused books to fall in a heap. "Let me help you with that, baby," Tess offered, bending down to pick up some of the books.

"Thanks, Tess," the teenager grumbled. "I'm not usually this much of a wreck, I swear."

"I believe you," Tess assured him.

He watched in surprise while she crouched low to the ground to gather the rest of the mess. "Wow. You're in pretty good shape for…a woman your age. My grandmother can barely walk."

"You'd be surprised what I can do," Tess replied, laughing. She turned back to the front when the chime above the door rang. She smiled as Jacob Miller walked in, joined by his three young children. "Excuse me, please."

While the children ran loose in the kids' section, Tess approached Jacob. "Hello. Can I help you find anything?"

'Not really," Jacob answered, looking at the books on the display tables. "Just browsing while the kids pick out some books. Any recommendations?"

As she had with Daphne, Tess held up the same book on the World Trade Center. _As the saying goes – if at first you don't succeed, try again._ One way or another, Daphne _was_ getting this book. "This is excellent – came out a few weeks ago, around the anniversary of the attacks. All about the families who lost loved ones. Great if you're looking for something emotional."

Jacob hesitated, but still took the book when Tess held it out to him. "It might be a little too emotional for me," he admitted, flipping through the pages. "My brother-in-law was killed that day – he worked at the World Trade Center."

"I'm so sorry," Tess replied. "But that 's all the more reason to read it. It's helped so many families find closure."

Smirking, Jacob asked, "Do you get commission if someone takes out this book, or something like that?"

Tess chuckled. "No, I just feel that the more people who read it, the better."

"Alright then, consider me sold," Jacob said, tucking the book under his arm. "Thanks for the recommendation. I'm going to go check on the kids."

"No problem," Tess replied, giving a sigh of relief when Jacob was out of earshot. She'd been a little frustrated when Daphne gave her the brush-off yesterday.

Turning around, she saw her three angel babies walk in and head over to her. "And how are you three doing so far?"

"Pretty good…did I just see Jacob walk into the children's section?" Andrew asked, confused.

Tess nodded. "Yes, you did. He's here with his kids. I managed to convince him to take home a book on the World Trade Center."

"Well, let's hope he gives it to Daphne," Andrew replied. "He wasn't too happy about having to call her when I dropped off some of the papers earlier."

"And you, angel girl?" Tess asked, facing Monica.

Monica didn't quite meet Tess' gaze. "Not as well. I think I may have offended her when I suggested that another mother chaperone a field trip I'm planning for next week."

"Miss Wings," Tess chided. "You need to take things _slow_. Daphne's been set in her ways for six years – she's not going to change just like that."

Her shoulders sagging, Monica said, "I know. Sorry, Tess."

"I'm sure there's no harm done," Tess replied. Finally, she turned to Gloria. The young angel was squirming where she stood, determined not to look Tess in the eye. Sighing, Tess asked, "And what is wrong with you, little angel?"

Clearing her throat, Gloria answered, "N-nothing. B-but I've sort of…enlisted some help for my case. In my defense, I think it's working real well."

"I'll be the judge of that," Tess remarked, and Gloria grew considerably more nervous. "What kind of help?"

Gloria didn't say anything for a long moment, then mustered up the courage to respond, "The one who saw us when we were observing the other day – Fiona Giambelli – she…knows that I'm an angel. I made sure that she wouldn't tell Chris, though. And she's helping me get Chris to get over his shy nature."

"Well…" Tess trailed off, trying to decide if this was good or not. Then she figured that if the Father had allowed this little girl to see angels, there must be a reason for it. And she _was_ proud of her little angel for thinking of a way to reach a difficult case. "If you say Fiona's helping, then by all means let her. Who knows, maybe she was supposed to be in the plan all along. Good job, little angel."

"Thank you, Tess!" Gloria exclaimed, beaming with both relief and pride About half the library patrons around her gave her dirty looks. Gloria's face reddened. "Oops. Sorry!"

"Anyway, I'm still on duty for another hour, so I'll see you all later," Tess replied, chuckling. Then she narrowed her eyes at Gloria. "Besides, I think it's best if you leave before you get into more trouble."


	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

"I want to prepare you," Andrew joked, putting the key in the club's storage room lock. "It's not clean, by most standards." He was joined by Jacob, as well as Jacob's parents, Michael and Sarah Miller.

The couple was in their late fifties. Sarah shared the apparent family trait of red hair and green eyes, while her husband had fading raven-colored hair and bright blue eyes. Michael was fit from using the club's gym, since he was also a member, while Sarah was naturally petite.

Chuckling, Michael assured him, "Don't worry Andrew, we can take it."

"Yes, it can't be any worse than our grandsons' room," Sarah added, playfully nudging her son's shoulder.

Jacob grimaced. His two sons shared a room, while his daughter had her own. All three were under ten-years-old. "Hint taken. I'll tell them to clean it up before you visit this weekend."

Laughing, Andrew kept his eye on the three as he opened the storage room door. Jacob, Michael and Sarah seemed like such good people. It was a shame that Daphne had pushed them away. Clearing his throat, Andrew made a sweeping gesture with his hand. "Well, here it is."

"Oh my God," Sarah remarked, her jaw dropping.

The large room was a disaster area. File cabinets lined the walls, broken up by a closet door every few feet. Several wooden desks and chairs sat in the center of the room, all covered with papers and file folders. Two were topped with ancient-looking computers.

Michael smirked at the scene. "Looks like our grandsons' have a run for their money."

"Andrew warned you guys," Jacob reminded them. Glancing at his mother, he explained,

"A good amount of the club members use this as an office or storage space. Members can claim up to two drawers, or some space in a closet. I think Chris had a shelf in one of the closets…"

Nodding, Andrew opened a to their right. Papers tumbled out avalanche-style. "There are some boxes in the back that are Chris'. I would've brought them by, but they're so heavy I thought it would be easier to go through them here."

"I don't understand why Chris' papers are still here," Sarah remarked, then said in a quieter voice, "It's been six years."

Jacob gave an apologetic shrug. "We're men, Mom. We don't clean. Some boxes have probably been here since World War II."

"I don't doubt it," Michael agreed. "I wouldn't be surprised if I still had some papers around here from twenty years ago, before we added on the home office."

As Andrew and Jacob pulled out the first cardboard box, Sarah watched with guilt in her eyes. Looking up at her, Andrew asked, "What is it, Mrs. Miller?"

"Call me Sarah," Sarah told him, then sighed. "It's just that…this doesn't feel right. Daphne should be here."

Jacob's face hardened. "You think _she_ would feel guilty if the situation were reversed? She doesn't care that we miss Chris too, Mom. She'd just think that he was her husband, and she had a right to go through his stuff alone."

Sarah didn't say anything for a moment. Finally, she replied, "That doesn't give us a right to do this to her."

"But if we did call her, she'd tell _us_ to back off of his stuff," Michael pointed out. "We might end up making the situation worse."

Tears welled in Sarah's eyes, but she wiped them away with her blouse sleeve before she thought anyone noticed. "I know. But I just miss her so much. It was like we lost her, Chris, and our grandson at the same time. We haven't seen her in a year, Michael, and we live in the same town."

"So you're saying that we use Chris' papers as a lure to get her to see us again?" Michael retorted, his tone dripping with sarcasm and anger.

Andrew observed the conversation with a small amount of anxiety. This is not how this afternoon was supposed to go. His plan had been for them to get some closure over Chris' death, not cause more resentment towards Daphne. Praying to the Father that he hadn't made a mistake, he said, "If I may interrupt…"

"Go ahead, Andrew," Sarah replied.

"Since we have the storage room to ourselves today," Andrew continued. "It might be best to go through some impersonal things first – bank statements and the like. The more personal things like letters and mementos we can save until we contact Daphne."

They all considered the suggestion. Finally each one of them shrugged or nodded in agreement.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Andrew pointed to one of the boxes. "Then you'll want to look through here first. When do you think you can get in touch with Daphne? I'll need to schedule some time for us in here."

Again he was greeted with silence. Andrew was reminded of a group of children choosing "It," only these three were too mature to shout "Not it!" at the top of their lungs. When neither her husband nor son showed any indication of volunteering, Sarah snapped, "Fine, I'll call her tomorrow."

"Thank you," Andrew said. They spent the rest of the afternoon sorting through papers, the mood remaining solemn, angry and tense.

* * *

Sitting in the driver's seat of her old sedan, Sarah leaned back on the headrest. She was parked in front of her daughter's house. Her original plan had been to call Daphne, but it occurred to her that this was the perfect excuse to see her only daughter again. Though she knew that Daphne would not be welcoming, she couldn't help it. A mother never stopped loving her daughter.

She glanced at the passenger seat. Andrew sat there, dressed in jeans and white collared shirt. She'd stopped by the club, since she knew Jacob usually took a late lunch hour and stopped there to relax before going back to the bank, where he was a manager. There she'd seen Andrew, who inquired when she was calling Daphne. Sarah had admitted that she changed her mind and decided to stop by, and Andrew had offered to go along for support.

"I can't thank you enough, Andrew," Sarah said, giving him a grateful smile. "If it weren't for you I probably would've driven all the way here, only to go straight back home."

Chuckling, Andrew replied, "It's no big deal. I could see you were a little shaken up over this."

Sarah let out a short laugh. "A little? I'm trembling. The last time we saw each other…it did not go so well."

"What happened?"

"It was last year, on my wedding anniversary. Michael and I had been married for thirty years," Sarah began, the memory coming back quickly. She wasn't surprised. It was burned on her mind from going over it so much. "It was a big family gathering, so I didn't get a chance to really talk to her until afterwards. She'd been avoiding me, Michael and Jacob all night, and I wanted an explanation. We exchanged words that we both regret, but the gist of it was that our anniversary brought out her resentment of me. That I would have the rest of my life with my husband, while she barely had two years with hers. And that brought up old feelings, that I never understood, tried to understand, what she was going through when Chris…passed away.

"But it's really the opposite. My father also died young, so I remembered what my mother went through. All the anger, the frustration, the inherent unfairness of it all. But instead of dwelling on it, and becoming paranoid that she would loose me, she put her feelings aside and moved on. That's what I told Daphne, and since then she's accused me of being insensitive."

Here, Sarah paused, realizing just how good it felt to get this off her chest. Not wanting to burden her husband or her son with this, since they were each going through their own issues with Daphne. That Andrew, someone she didn't even know, would sit there and listen was a blessing.

After a moment Andrew asked, "Do you blame yourself for any of this?"

"A little," Sarah admitted. "Though I know Daphne has her own issues, and should probably receive professional help with them, I can't help but think that it's my fault. That there's something I could do to make this situation better. There's something I'm not doing right, and I just can't figure out how to fix it."

What Andrew said next surprised her. "Don't worry. God will make everything clearer in time."

Sarah did a double-take. While she wasn't an atheist – her family was Catholic – she wasn't especially religious either. God was not mentioned in everyday conversation so to hear Andrew say it so naturally was a bit…strange. "Oh. I, uh, didn't realize you were religious, Andrew."

"Very much so," Andrew admitted.

Shaking her head, Sarah turned off the car's ignition and stepped onto the sidewalk. "Well, there's nothing left to do now but ring the doorbell."

"Would you like me to come with you?"

Sarah hesitated. Having Andrew there might get Daphne to act a little more civil. If there was one thing to be said about her daughter, it was that she was polite in front of strangers. "Yes, I think that would be best."

They walked up the front porch, and Sarah rang the doorbell with a trembling hand. Seconds later the door opened. Daphne tensed at the sight of her mother, but remained calm when she noticed Andrew. "Hi, Mom," she greeted, keeping the door half-closed. "What are you doing here?"

"Well, um, I need to tell you something," Sarah began. "Nothing important, but perhaps it would be more comfortable if you invited us inside…"

Daphne's face made it clear she didn't like the idea. However, Sarah and Andrew were saved from having the door slammed in their faces a moment later. Chris ran towards them, pushing passed his mother's legs. "Grandma!" he exclaimed, hugging Sarah around the waist.

"Chris! How's my sweet boy?" Sarah asked, picking Chris up and holding him on her hip. "You've certainly gotten heavier since the last time I've seen you."

"I miss you, Grandma," Chris said, burying his head in his grandmother's shoulder.

Sarah kissed his hair, her arms around the boy. "I miss you too," she replied, sobs in her throat.

Suddenly Chris picked his head up and stared at Andrew. "Who's he?"

"That's Andrew, a man from your uncle Jacob's social club," Sarah explained.

Chris studied Andrew, then nodded. "He looks nice."

"Thank you," Andrew laughed, shaking the boy's hand. "It's nice to meet you."

Out of duty Daphne held out her hand as well. "Yes, it's nice to meet you, Andrew. Though am curious to know why you're here."

"Maybe it would be better if we discussed this inside?" Sarah suggested again, putting Chris back down on the porch.

The young boy grabbed his grandmother's hand and started pulling her into the house. "Yeah, come on! Mommy and I redecorated my room! You have to see!"

"Okay, okay!" Sarah exclaimed, following her son into the small foyer. She sent him a silent thanks, knowing if it weren't for him, her and Andrew would've been on the porch for another half hour.

After a quick tour of the child's room, Daphne sent Chris into the kitchen for a snack of peanut butter and crackers while the adults went into the living room. "So, what brings you here?" she asked, her tone casual.

Sarah wasn't fooled. That tone would've been dripping with ice if Andrew wasn't there. Keeping her voice equally casual, Sarah explained, "Well, Andrew here approached Jacob the other day, saying that the social club was clearing out the storage room."

"And since I didn't know your address, I contacted Jacob," Andrew was quick to add.

Nervous when Daphne narrowed her eyes, Sarah said, "We went through the impersonal things like bank statements, but…it didn't feel right going through the letters and other things we found without you."

Daphne was silent for a moment, then put a hand on her hip. "Well it was nice of you to contact me. Better late than never, as they say. I'll come and pick up everything tomorrow."

Feeling anger swirling in her stomach, Sarah retorted, "You know, your brother, father and I were hoping to help. We loved him too, and Jacob wanted some of the pictures we saw. And…maybe you might feel better about this if you didn't have to do it alone."

"No thank you," Daphne replied, cold and fast. "I can handle it. Just drop the boxes off, if you don't mind."

Andrew cleared his throat. "The boxes are considerably large, and might be a pain to have around the house. It would be easier if you all just came to the club."

Letting out a deep breath, Daphne crossed her arms at her chest. "Fine, then. See you tomorrow, Andrew." With that, she went into the kitchen to check on Chris.

"Well, that…wasn't so bad," Sarah remarked, as if trying to convince herself more than Andrew. He nodded anyway, and he gave her hand a reassuring squeeze as they went back to the car.

* * *

"You did great, Tess," Monica said. The three angels – her, Tess, and Gloria – were standing in front of the school's side doors.

Watching the mothers pick up their children, Tess replied, "Thank you, angel girl. I have to admit it was fun. Though that Fiona is one curious little girl."

"Isn't she?" Gloria chuckled.

They were all talking about class that day, when Tess spoke about being a librarian, and the library itself. Most already had library cards, but some filled out the forms Tess handed out at the end of the class. Fiona had been full of questions, a sharp contrast to the silent Chris sitting next to her.

Monica smiled when she saw Fiona give Chris a hug good-bye. The boy was clearly unnerved, but too polite to squirm away. "And it seems she's taking a liking to your assignment, Gloria. Though I'm not sure Chris is happy about it."

"I know he isn't," Gloria replied with a laugh. "During free time, he asked me why Fiona doesn't go play with the other 'dumb girls.' Fiona started playing with him at first because she wanted to help me, but I think she's really starting to think of him as a friend."

"Which is exactly what Chris needs," Tess noted.

Before anyone could say anything else, the angels were joined by Mrs. Giambelli, with Fiona tagging along. "Tess!" Mrs. Giambelli greeted. "Fiona was telling me all about your talk today. It sounds like you did a wonderful job."

"Thank you, Adriana," Tess replied. "Did you think about what we discussed at the library yesterday?"

Adriana nodded, her chocolate-colored wavy hair bouncing on her shoulders as she did so. "Yes, and I think it's a fantastic idea. I'll see if I can get some of the other mothers behind it."

"You might want to ask Daphne Jameson," Tess suggested. "She might be interested."

The eagerness in Adriana's light brown eyes faded for a moment as she frowned. "I doubt it, but I guess it couldn't hurt to ask."

"No, it couldn't," Tess agreed. "Come by the library tomorrow, and we'll discuss times for the meeting."

Monica was confused by the whole conversation, but her focus was on the little girl. Her eyes on Tess, Fiona's attention didn't waver the entire time she stood at her mother's side. _I wonder what she's thinking,_ Monica thought. A quick glance at Gloria proved the younger angel was wondering the same thing.

Their question was answered when, during a break in the conversation, Fiona asked Tess, "Are you an angel, too?"

"Fiona!" Adriana chided, while Tess stared at Fiona with surprise. "I'm sorry, but she came home with the crazy idea that Monica and Gloria are angels, and she just won't give it up. I don't know where she could've gotten that from. Again, so sorry."

Tess laughed. "Don't worry about it, baby. I'll take it as a compliment."

Adriana went to speak with other mothers, while some came up to talk to Tess. Meanwhile, Fiona stayed behind. Seeing her opportunity, Gloria bent down so she was eye-level with the child. "Fiona, I thought we were going to keep this a secret."

"From _Chris_," Fiona reminded her. "I thought it was okay to tell my mommy – I don't like keeping secrets from her."

While Gloria tried to reason with Fiona, Monica walked over to Tess. "What was that about, Tess?"

"What was what about?" Tess replied.

"That conversation with Adriana," Monica explained. "What were you talking about?"

Tess gave Monica an aggravated look. "Miss Wings, don't you remember what I told you at the beginning of the assignment?"

Hesitating, Monica's eyes widened as she remembered. "_Oh_, the September 11 memorial. I'm sorry, Tess, I forgot. But do you really think Daphne will go for it?"

"With a little persuasion," Tess replied, her eye on Daphne as the woman got into the car. "I've planned a meeting for all the supporters on Friday. Maybe if she stops by the library tomorrow, or if Andrew sees her before then, the four of us can convince her."

Recalling her first unpleasant encounter with Daphne, Monica muttered under her breath, "Father, help us."


	5. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

After her chat with Tess, Adriana looked around for Daphne…very reluctantly. She and the other mother had their fair share of arguments and fierce PTA debates last year, when both their children were in pre-school. Chris was pulled out half-way through the year because he couldn't adjust. While Adriana felt bad for the kid, she would be lying if she said she missed her weekly spats with his mother.

"Do you see Mrs. Jameson anywhere?" Adriana asked her daughter, whose hand she held. The block was crowded, and Fiona always was observant.

Fiona pointed to a Lexus sedan a few feet away. "There, isn't that Chris and his mommy?"

"Yes it is," Adriana answered, breathing a sigh of relief. Daphne was already in the car and pulling away from the spot. "Well, I guess our conversation will have to wait until tomorrow. Come on, Fi."

"Can we go to the library?" Fiona begged as they approached her mother's car.

Adriana shook her head. "Nope, sorry, we have to go grocery shopping today. Why do you ask that – we just went yesterday."

"I wanna visit Tess again," Fiona explained, climbing into her car seat.

Buckling her daughter in and getting into the driver's seat, Adriana looked at Fiona in the rearview mirror. "Fi, how can she be at the library when she's still talking to mothers now?"

"Because…because she can," Fiona retorted, crossing her arms.

Adriana let out a deep sigh as she started the car and pulled away. Ever since Monday Fiona had been claiming that Gloria and Monica were angels. Adriana just couldn't figure out where she would get a crazy idea like that. True, the family did go to Church on Sundays, and they did believe in angels…but that they stayed in _Heaven_. Well, whatever this phase was, Fiona wasn't letting it go any time soon if she thought Tess was one too. "Sweetie," Adrianna said. "Tess is not an angel. Neither are Gloria, or Monica, or anyone else. I know you're a little kid, and it's okay to play pretend. Bur you can't just ask people if they're angels. This game has to stop."

"It's not a game!" Fiona argued. "Angels are real! I know it! And Miss Gloria…said so too."

"Miss Gloria said she was an angel?" Adriana asked, keeping the horror out of her voice. That any adult, particularly a teacher, would play along with a fantasy like that was disturbing. Then again, maybe Gloria had been joking, or it had been a game of pretend during free time.

Fiona didn't quite meet her mother's gaze in the mirror. "Um…no…"

"Well, I'm sure Miss Gloria was just kidding," Adrianna said, more to reassure herself than her daughter. "No matter what she says, there will be no more talk of angels, at least in this way. Am I understood?"

"Yes, Mommy," Fiona answered, her voice a whisper.

Adriana stifled a groan. Something told her that this would not be the last conversation about angels.

They rode in silence, and Adriana pulled into the parking lot of a grocery store she frequented. After they entered and browsed for a while, Adriana putting some necessary items in their cart, the two stopped when they came to the dairy aisle. Down the row was Daphne Jameson, Chris in tow.

Without thinking, Adriana tried to avoid being seen, whirling the cart around to face the opposite direction. Fiona, however, blew her cover and yelled, "Hi, Chris!" Then she ran over to the startled boy.

The two mothers slowly approached each other, left with no choice while their kids talked. Clearing her throat, Daphne greeted, "Hello, Adriana. It's been a while."

"It certainly has," Adriana replied, wincing as she realized how cliché the whole conversation was. Gathering her courage, and fears of not wanting to disappoint Tess, she began, "So, um, are you doing anything Friday afternoon?"

Daphne hesitated, narrowing her eyes. "Why?"

"Well, um," Adriana answered, feeling nerves beginning to take over the forced cool. "T-Tess…you know, the librarian…and I were thinking of trying to get a September 11 memorial put in town. I told her you wouldn't like the idea, but she thought you might be interested. We can use all the support we can get."

"Well you won't get it from me. Like I need a reminder of that horrible event put somewhere I have to see it every day," Daphne snapped.

Adriana resisted the temptation to roll her eyes. _Typical, so typical. And I expected anything else…why?_ "Yes, I know about your husband. But wouldn't you want a memorial to commemorate Chris?" When Daphne was about to respond, a witty retort clearly on the tip of her tongue, Adriana added, "Look, why don't you bring Chris over for a play date with Fiona at my house tomorrow? I'll get Tess to come – at least hear us out, please? And it does seem that Fiona and Chris are pretty close."

Instead of replying with a rejection, Daphne paused to consider it. "Well…I suppose one afternoon couldn't hurt. Where is your house again?"

The two exchanged addresses and phone numbers. Waving good-bye to Chris, Fiona looked at her mother with gratitude. "Thanks for inviting Chris over, Mommy! I can't wait!"

"Yeah, me neither," Adriana whispered, staring down at the shopping cart.

* * *

"So…why am I here?" Gloria asked, sitting in the passenger seat of Tess' convertible. The two were parked in front of Adriana Giambelli's house the next day. After school, Gloria learned little background information from the supervisor when getting into the car. All she knew was that Adriana had wanted Tess there when the mother tried to convince Daphne to attend the meeting in a few days. Which didn't explain why Gloria needed to come along for the ride.

:"As far as Adriana or Daphne know," Tess answered, "You're here as another member from the support group. But I think you'll find opportunity to work on your assignment as well."

"Oh," Gloria replied. They both got out of the car, Tess leading the way up the walk and ringing the doorbell.

The door opened several moments later, and Adriana gave Tess a big smile. "Tess! Thank you so much for coming…" She trailed off, looking at the convertible behind them. "Nice car, by the way. Not something you'd expect a librarian to have."

"It's a beauty, isn't it?" Tess said, beaming with pride. Shaking her head, she continued, "Well, you know Gloria, right? She's a member of the support group too, and I thought she'd be able to help."

"Hi. I hope you don't mind an extra person," Gloria greeted, all three of them moving into the foyer.

Adriana's welcoming smile faded a bit as her gaze fell on Gloria. "Oh, n-no, of course not. I'm sure we'll need all the help we can get. Well, make yourselves comfortable in the living room. It's just us girls for today, as my husband doesn't get home until six. Daphne and her son should be here soon. Can I get you some drinks?"

"Water would be great," Gloria answered, feeling dryness in her throat. The way the mother was looking at her was making her both confused and nervous.

Tess said she'd like some too, and the angels settled down in the living room. Still unnerved by Adriana's cold response to her, Gloria said, "Tess, Adriana didn't seem too happy to see me. I don't think I've done anything to offend her...why do you think she acted that way?"

"I don't know, baby," Tess confessed, also looking somewhat confused.

Their conversation was interrupted when Fiona came running into the room. "Hi Tess!" Fiona greeted, then turned to Gloria. "Hi, Miss Gloria! Mommy didn't say you would be here."

"Well, your mommy didn't know," Gloria explained. _Then again, neither did I until about five minutes ago._

"Oh," Fiona replied with a frown.

Bewildered, Gloria pressed, "Sweetie, what is it?"

Her voice low, Fiona answered, "I think my mommy is mad at you. I said you were an angel, and she said you weren't and that I shouldn't talk about angels that way. She got pretty upset."

_Uh oh_, Gloria thought, glancing at Tess. The supervisor was giving her an exasperated look, as if to say, _What have you gotten yourself into now?_ Gulping, Gloria managed to reply, "Fiona, remember what I said yesterday, about not telling anyone?"

"I didn't!" Fiona argued. "But Mommy was mad at me for thinking that Tess was an angel, and told me I shouldn't play pretend any more. But I won't say anything from now on, I promise!"

"That's good," Gloria sighed, praying to the Father that the child was being truthful.

Just then, Adriana called from the kitchen, "Fiona! Chris is here!" Fiona squealed, thoughts of angels instantly forgotten as she rushed into the foyer to greet their guests.

When she was gone, the angels sat in silence, Gloria looking everywhere but at the supervisor. "Tess, I-I'm sorry…"

"Sorry doesn't do any good," Tess interrupted.

Gloria lowered her eyes. "So what do I do now? Adriana probably thinks I'm some sort of crazy person."

"I bet she does," Tess agreed, harshness in her tone. "For now, just pray that you haven't done anything to mess up this assignment. Pray _hard_, little angel."

Gloria was saved from further admonishment as Fiona, Chris, and Daphne came into the room. Adriana brought up the rear, carrying two glasses of water. Taking hers, Gloria gulped down half the glass in about three seconds.

"Fiona, Chris," Adriana said. "Why don't you two go into the play room? I'm sure that will be more fun than sitting here."

"Yeah! Come on, Chris!" Fiona exclaimed, pulling him out of the room. Then she paused as she passed the angels, and grabbed Gloria's hand too. "You too, Miss Gloria!"

Figuring that this must've been what Tess meant about working on her assignment, Gloria gave the mothers an apologetic grin. "I guess someone has to keep an eye on them, right? Start without me – I'll be back in a few minutes."

Gloria and Chris followed Fiona down the hallway to a door on the right. Fiona opened the door to reveal a medium-sized room, filled on one side with girls' toys like dolls and a dress up box. Shoved into the opposite corner was a wooden desk, the wall next to it lined with file cabinets. "Daddy uses this as an office," Fiona explained. "I can play in here any time though, as long as he's not working."

Chris didn't say anything, but stared at all the girly toys with a reluctant frown. "You're not going to make me play dress up, are you?"

"Of course not, silly," Fiona giggled, going over to a box filled with Barbie dolls. "Dolls! You can be Ken."

"No way! Dolls are for girls!" Chris exclaimed, heading for the door. "I'm going to sit with Mommy."

Gloria put a hand on his arm before he could leave, her other hand picking up a board game on one of the shelves. "How about this, Chris?" she asked, looking at the box. "Do you play Candyland?"

"Oh, yeah, that's one of my favorites!" Fiona exclaimed, taking the box from Gloria.

Inching back into the room, Chris said, "My mommy and I play that sometimes. We also play Chutes and Ladders."

"Fiona has that too," Gloria observed, taking the mentioned game and laying it next to the other one.

Soon the game was set up, and Chris and Fiona were sitting on the carpeted floor. Gloria tried to sneak out of the room, thinking she should leave the children to themselves.

Looking up, Fiona patted the space next to her. "Miss Gloria! Play with us! Games are more fun with three people."

"Um…okay," Gloria relented, sitting down on the floor. As Fiona picked the first card, Gloria prayed that Tess could handle the mothers on her own.

* * *

_Only Gloria would've done something like this,_ Tess thought as she spoke with Daphne and Adriana. _Now what are we supposed to do? If Adriana becomes convinced that Gloria has some sort of mental illness, then Gloria will have to reveal herself. And who knows what doing something like that will affect the assignment she's still working on?_ Tess was torn at the moment between telling the young angel to reveal herself to Adriana sooner rather than later to avoid a potential scene, or wait until the case was over with. Because if Adriana got it in her head that Gloria was crazy, she might tell other mothers, round up the PTA…

The very thought was giving Tess a headache.

She shook her head, realizing that Adriana was saying something to her. "I'm sorry, baby, can you say that again?"

"I was saying that maybe you would be the better person to explain the memorial to Daphne," Adriana said, looking at Tess with concern. "Are you alright, Tess?"

"Yes, I'm fine, just a headache," Tess answered, refocusing her attention on the conversation at hand. No matter whoever else's assignments were falling apart, Tess had her own to take care of.

Taking a sip of the tea Adriana had made, Daphne said, "Look, I understand that you both want to commemorate the attacks. But I just can't see myself supporting a huge statue of the Twin Towers in the middle of the park."

"Nothing so flashy," Tess assured her. "It would be something subtle, tasteful. Adriana suggested a marble wall with the names of all the victims from this area, situated at a key location in the town graveyard."

Daphne looked surprised. "Oh, well…" She trailed off, staring down at her tea. "…but I'd have to attend this…meeting, wouldn't I?"

"Well…" Adriana answered, a little shocked that Daphne had caved. "….you could just sign the petition we were planning on passing out…"

"But it would really help if you showed up. This might turn into more of a club if there needs to be several meetings," Tess added quickly.

Giving Adriana a sidelong glance, Daphne asked, "And you wouldn't mind? Given our history?"

"My feelings on an issue have never stopped you before," Adriana retorted before she could stop herself. Realizing the way it must have sounded, she mumbled, "Sorry. Old habits are hard to break."

Daphne glared at her. "Well, you could try a bit harder."

"I don't see you unfreezing that tone of yours," Adriana snapped.

Her glare deepening, Daphne replied, "At least I keep _my_ unpleasant thoughts about _you_ to myself."

Tess watched the argument with growing anxiety. _And we were doing so well._ "Ladies, can you try to get along? You can't help whatever happened between the two of you, but you can forgive each other, if you let yourselves. And I think it's in the best interest of everybody if you let bygones be bygones."

The two stared each other down for a moment. Then finally Adriana sighed. "Look, I can't say I'd be the most comfortable if you came, Daphne, but…this isn't just about me. This is an open meeting for anyone who was affected by the attacks. And I think you would benefit emotionally if you attended. But it's still your choice, so if decide not to come, that's okay too."

Daphne hesitated, glancing at Tess, then making eye contact with Adriana. "I'll think about it." Clearing her throat, she put down her cup of tea. "I-I guess I'll go get Chris."

Minutes later Tess and Gloria had said their good-byes and getting into the convertible. Giving the younger angel a curious look, Tess asked, "And just what were you doing that whole time, little angel?"

Gloria's face reddened. "Losing three games of Candyland. In a row."

"Oh, Gloria," Tess chuckled.

Noting Tess' mood, Gloria asked hopefully, "So…you're not mad at me anymore?"

"I guess not. What's done is done," Tess answered, giving the younger angel a reassuring smile. "But we still have to deal with Adriana…somehow."

"Yeah," Gloria agreed. "By the way…how did the meeting go? Did I miss anything?"

"It was…interesting," Tess answered, filling Gloria in as she began to drive away from the house.


	6. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Later that same day, Andrew once again found himself in the social club's storage room, sorting through boxes with Jacob. Talk was casual, with Jacob telling a story about Chris if they happened to find something personal. Among the stories, however, were rants about Jacob's twin sister.

"So, were you and Daphne close…before?" Andrew asked in an attempt to bring up good memories.

Tossing another bank statement into the garbage pile, Jacob shrugged. "We're twins, so there was always that closeness. We chatted on the phone every day, our families had dinner together at least once a week. Heck, I was the best man at their wedding."

Andrew looked up at him in surprise. "Really?" It came as a shock to him because, by the strong rift between the family, he'd thought that there must have been a problem before the attacks.

Nodding, Jacob explained, "Oh, yeah. She and my wife, Stephanie, were best friends, and she's the godmother of two of my children…which is only because Steph's sister would've been really ticked if she wasn't chosen for the third."

"And that all vanished after Chris passed away?" Andrew asked in disbelief.

"Chris' death changed everything," Jacob answered with a sigh. "Daphne got really depressed, especially after she learned she was pregnant. You know, such happy news, but she'd never be able to tell the father…that kind of thing. And since she and I have always had that twin ESP, I couldn't be strong for her. While of course Chris' death would've made me upset normally, I just…couldn't take it. Several days I had to call in sick to work because I couldn't get out of bed."

Andrew gave him a sympathetic frown. "I'm so sorry. What happened to drive Daphne away from you and your parents, though?"

Still keeping his hands busy with the paperwork, Jacob answered, "A bunch of things. Daphne went through months where she didn't want to talk to any of us. My parents tried to reach her as much as they could, but they felt they had to divide their attention with consoling me. I tried to tell them to tend to Daphne and leave me alone, since I had Stephanie, but they wouldn't listen. They've always been strict about treating Daphne and I exactly the same, without any favoritism whatsoever."

"It's not your fault," Andrew replied, getting a feeling that that's what Jacob was thinking. "You can't control how your parents act."

Jacob gave a short laugh. "Try telling that to Daphne. She accused me of crying for attention while she needed our parents the most. But even all of that wasn't was finally drove the stake through our relationship."

"What was, then?" Andrew asked. However, he had a pretty good idea just what that was thanks to his conversation with Sarah.

Sure enough, Jacob said, "Well, for a while after the attacks, Chris was listed as 'missing,' not 'deceased.' We all had hope for at least a month or so that we'd get a call, saying that Chris had been taken to a hospital in a coma and didn't have any ID on him, and had only woken up a few hours ago. Or he'd managed to survive while trapped somewhere.'

The concept wasn't so farfetched to Andrew. He'd seen many families who hung onto any small thread of hope that their loved one was still alive after a horrific incident such as this. "What happened to change that/"

"We got a call. But not the one we were praying for," Jacob continued. "They…the search-and-rescue team, the firefighters, whoever…found some small pieces of bone that were identified as Chris'. That was enough to convince my parents and I that Chris was gone."

"But it wasn't for Daphne," Andrew pressed. He could see that this conversation was good for Jacob, just like he'd seen how relieved Sarah had been after their conversation.

Jacob shook his head. "No. Not nearly enough. While we tried to make her see reason, she just wouldn't listen. Told us we were giving up hope too soon, and in a fit of anger said she thought maybe we wanted him dead all along. After a huge fight about the subject was when we started to drift part. In fact, if you asked her today…I bet you she still thinks, to some extent, that Chris could be walking around somewhere with a severe case of amnesia."

That made Andrew feel incredibly sorry for Daphne – and helpless. He was the Angel of Death who took Chris home (which he suspected was why he was working on this case now). This would be so much easier if Andrew could just reveal himself to the whole family that Chris was indeed in Heaven, safe and happy. "Do you believe that Chris is gone, Jacob?"

"Yeah," Jacob confessed. "It's something you just…know. I think Daphne knows it too, but she just won't let herself admit it."

Looking at Jacob with a serious expression on his face, Andrew said, "It's good that you believe that Chris is gone, but believing it or not is not the issue here. Whether she knows for sure that Chris was killed that day, Daphne has to let herself move on. Maybe she'll always have that doubt, but she has to learn to live with it. And you aren't making it any easier by harboring your resentment towards her for accusations she made while emotionally distressed."

Jacob stared at Andrew for a long moment, clearly surprised by the insight. Clearing his throat, he replied, "W-well, I guess I do have a tendency to hold a grudge. But she doesn't make forgiveness easy."

"All you can do is try your best," Andrew insisted.

Keeping his gaze on Andrew, Jacob said, "I guess."

As if on cue, they both looked up as Daphne walked into the room, Chris Jr. at her side. "Oh…Jacob…I didn't realize you'd be here."

"Uncle Jacob!" Chris yelled in excitement.

"Hey, little guy," Jacob greeted, then turned to his sister. "Well, I didn't know you would be here either, otherwise I wouldn't be going through _your_…" He trailed off, noticing the look Andrew was giving him. "Anyway, uh, Daphne, this is Andrew…"

"We've met. Nice to see you again, Andrew," Daphne said politely.

Andrew gave her a warm smile. "Good to see you too. Here to stay, or still intent on picking up these boxes?"

"Come on, Daph, loosen up," Jacob invited, clearing some space off a nearby chair. "We haven't hung out in ages, and I miss my nephew."

"Please, Mommy?" Chris begged, looking up at his mother.

Daphne almost looked as if she might agree for a second. Then she shook her head. "U-uh, no thanks, we both have to get home. It's late as it is, and I have to make dinner."

Pouting, Chris whined, "Mommy…"

"Chris! What'd I say about whining?" Daphne chided. She spied some of the smaller of the boxes and tucked them under her arm. "I'll just take these, if you don't mind. Maybe we can go through the larger ones another time. Do say hi to Stephanie and the kids for me, Jacob. Good-bye, Andrew."

Then she went out the door before neither Andrew nor Jacob could say another word.

"That's Daphne for you," Jacob muttered, but there was disappointment under that exasperation. He grabbed his jacket as he headed for the door. "I'm going to go too, Andrew. I'll probably see you tomorrow, okay?"

"Bye," Andrew called. Deciding that there was nothing more he could do there, Andrew followed Jacob out, locking the door behind him.

_This is frustrating_, Andrew thought as he headed out of the social club. _Whenever I think I'm making progress, it backfires. Why is this so hard? Father, I need help._

Walking down the front stairs, he sighed with relief when he saw Monica waiting for him. The two were planning on meeting the other angels at a local diner to talk about how their assignments had progressed that day. While Andrew wasn't happy about having to tell Tess about his setback, just sitting and chatting with his fellow angels would help him relax considerably. "Hello, Monica. How did your day go?"

"Alright. I didn't get a chance to talk to Daphne, but Gloria and Tess were supposed to meet her after school," Monica answered. She wrinkled her brow in concern when she took a second to really look at his face. "Andrew, are you okay? You look upset."

"I'm sure I'll be fine. Come on, let's go," Andrew said. His arm casually around her shoulders, the two chatted as they began to walk in the direction of the diner.

* * *

Monica stood in front of the school at seven the next morning. She'd gotten word from the Father that she'd be able to work on her assignment more if she was in this spot at this very moment, but that was _all_ she'd gotten. So naturally, Monica tried to contain her curiosity while she waited for whatever or whoever was supposed to show up. 

Looking around the deserted sidewalk, Monica almost jumped when Gloria appeared beside her. "Gloria! You were sent here, too?"

"Yeah. I didn't know you'd be here either," Gloria replied, equally surprised, but relieved. "Who are we waiting for?"

Monica shrugged. "I have no idea, but it looks like whoever was supposed to show up is late. Why don't you go inside and set up the classroom, since we have so much extra time?"

"Sure. Good luck with…whatever it is you're supposed to do," Gloria called as she went into the building, the heavy door closing behind her.

Shivering a little from the cool September breeze, Monica pulled her light jacket tighter around her. Whatever she was waiting for, she hoped it came soon. Sensitivity to weather was definitely one of the downsides of being in human form.

Monica looked up as what she recognized as Daphne's car pulled into a spot right in front of her. Smiling in understanding, she approached the car as Daphne and Chris stepped onto the sidewalk. "Good morning," she greeted, her voice cheerful. "You're here a wee bit early."

"So are you," Daphne replied, standing near her car with Chris at her side.

Coming up with an excuse, Monica said, "Oh, well, I happened to be up earlier this morning and decided to come in and set up. Do you always drop Chris off at this time?"

"No," Daphne answered. "Usually a neighbor of mine takes him, but she came down with a twenty-four hour stomach virus. I know the school has a program in the cafeteria for kids who arrive before class starts, so I thought it wouldn't hurt too much to use it for once."

"Oh, I hope your friend feels better," Monica said, then noticed that Chris was clinging on to his mother's legs and looking at the school with a nervous grimace. Bending down so she was eye level with him, Monica greeted, "Hello there, Chris. Are you alright?"

"Yes, Miss Monica," Chris whispered, lowering his eyes.

When Monica gave her a questioning look, Daphne explained, "He's anxious about having to stay in the program with the other children for an hour. But I told him if he just sits at the table and colors in the coloring book he brought in his backpack, the hour will go by fast. Isn't that right, Chris?"

Chris didn't say anything, but nodded in meek agreement.

_The poor boy_, Monica thought. _He's absolutely terrified._ Letting out a deep breath, she stood upright. "Well, Gloria's in the classroom – she came with me since we, ah, carpool. If you want, she could watch him until the other children arrive. I think Chris would be more comfortable with that."

"I can stay with Miss Gloria?" Chris echoed, hope in his tone.

Daphne hesitated, then began to walk towards the door. "Oh, I guess that would be fine, thank you. She's in the classroom?"

"Yes," Monica answered, unable to keep from giving a small smile. She knew Gloria would be thrilled at the unexpected chance to work with Chris. Also, Monica had something she did need to talk to Daphne about.

After Daphne made sure that Chris was safe inside the classroom with Gloria, Daphne kissed him good-bye and stepped out into the hall. "Thank you so much, Gloria…Monica, I'll see you…"

"Wait!" Monica called, catching up to Daphne in the hallway outside. "I was wondering if we could talk."

Glancing at her watch, Daphne remarked, "It would have to be fast. I have to get to work; I'm late as it is."

"It will be." _I hope,_ Monica thought, praying to the Father that she didn't screw up this time also. "I was just wondering if we could have a short meeting after school."

That got Daphne to focus her full attention on Monica. "A meeting? Look, if it's about the field trip next week, I already told you that I'm going to be the chaperone."

"No," Monica assured her. Letting out a deep breath, Monica tried to gather her nerves. The idea for a scheduled meeting came to her yesterday, when she'd gone all day without getting a chance to even talk to her assignment. The more she stood there, the more she realized just how wrong this could go…but she went ahead anyway. "I mean, ah, of course you're still going to be the chaperone. But…you see, it's about Chris."

A small trace of panic filled Daphne's eyes. "What? Is there something wrong with him?"

"Not _wrong_, exactly. Gloria and I have just noticed that he's not…as social as some of the other children. He prefers to play by himself most of the time, and doesn't talk unless spoken to. And just now, he was terrified at the idea of spending an hour with a bunch of other children. I was hoping we could have a meeting today to…discuss the option of therapy," Monica explained, resisting the urge to break eye contact with Daphne. The woman was giving Monica a scathing look, clenching and unclenching her fists. Monica swallowed the lump in her throat. _I have a feeling I shouldn't have said that._

Making an obvious effort to control her temper, Daphne seethed, in a voice that was almost a whisper, "I…appreciate…your concern, but Chris does _not_ need therapy. Neither do I, if that was your next argument. And if you continue to toss out these ridiculous accusations with no regard for the feelings of others, I will be taking Chris out of your class until his regular teacher returns."

Then she was gone before Monica could say a word to defend herself, walking off down the hallway towards the door. Her face becoming hot from shame while she thought of how Tess would react to this later, Monica thought, _Perhaps a more subtle approach would have been better._

* * *

"You know, Mom, this club is for men only," Jacob was saying, watching as Sarah made sandwiches for him and his dad in the small kitchenette of the social club. It was his lunch break, and he'd stopped at the club to unwind, something he needed after his run-in with his sister yesterday. His retired father was relaxing on one of the club's couches, watching television. Smiling at his mother, Jacob added, "Yet you seem to making yourself right at home."

Waving a dismissive hand, Sarah gave one of the sandwiches to her husband. "Oh, please. Where else am I supposed to go? The seniors' center is full of _old_ people, and all the women's club does is gossip."

"Well, I don't think anyone cares if you stay here as long as you keep feeding them," Michael quipped, taking a bite out of the turkey-and-cheese sandwich.

Jacob chuckled, thanking his mother when she handed him the other sandwich. "You've got me there, Dad. I have to admit that some of the guys were asking when Mom would be around again."

"See? The only one who has a problem is you," Sarah joked, running her fingers through her son's hair, something she grew used to when he'd grown his hair long.

Jacob pushed her hand away. "Mom! I'm thirty-one-years-old, for crying out loud!"

"And your hair is still as messy as when you were eighteen," Sarah retorted, going back to the kitchen. "Do you know if Andrew is stopping in any time soon? I'll make him a sandwich too."

Shaking his head, Jacob answered, "Nope, haven't heard from him. Last I saw him was yesterday. He's probably having lunch with his cute girlfriend. Or wife."

"Andrew's married?" Michael asked, while Sarah also picked her head up with curiosity.

Jacob shrugged. "He hasn't mentioned her, but walking out of the club yesterday I saw him meet a very attractive auburn-haired woman and put his arm around her. If she is his wife…then he's a lucky guy."

Laughing, Sarah questioned, "Speaking of Andrew, how'd it go? I know you two planned to sort through more papers."

"It was gong great," Jacob replied, talking between mouthfuls of sandwich, trying not to get any crumbs on his suit. "That guy is a good listener. But the session ended on a sour note when my darling sister stopped by."

At that, Sarah and Michael stared at their son with crestfallen looks. Sitting down on the couch when her husband sat upright, Sarah asked, "Jacob…what happened? Did you and Daphne have another fight?"

"Oh, no, it was perfectly civil," Jacob said, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

While Michael looked a bit confused, Sarah nodded in understanding. "I swear, sometimes when I see her she treats a stranger with more warmth when she does me."

"If she acknowledges you at all. I saw her in the supermarket once, and she purposely avoided running into me," Michael remarked, his sandwich forgotten on the coffee table.

Jacob let out a deep sigh. "Andrew said I need to forgive her for everything she's done, and I know I should. But it's just _hard_, especially when she treats me this way. Heck, even when she treats _you_ this way."

"I know. But until _she_ lets go of the past, there's nothing much we can do except be there when she eventually does come around," Michael said. There was an air of resignation about him, as if he'd already given up on his daughter a long time ago.

Putting an arm around her husband's shoulders, Sarah added, "He's right, Jacob. While maybe this situation is partly our fault, the resolution of it can only happen if Daphne melts that icy shield she's built. I think our only option right now is to keep reminding her that we exist and are worried about her."

"For how long though? I'm sick of waiting," Jacob snapped. All he was thinking was how his sister could be so incredibly selfish. Didn't she see what she was doing to the few people left who cared about her? Not hungry any more, Jacob put down the plate with his remaining bites of sandwich on the coffee table and headed to the door. "I have to go back to work. See you on Sunday."

Jacob kept his pace even for the sake of his parents, but once he was out of their line of vision he stormed out of the club and slammed the car door as he sat down in the driver's seat. He loved his sister, he really did, but there were times he wanted to smack that cool smirk she usually greeted him with right off her face. Fumbling for his keys, they spilled out of his pants' pocket onto the passenger seat, colliding with the only other object nearby.

Picking up the object, Jacob realized it was the book on the September 11th attacks he'd gotten at the library. While he never actually planned on reading it, he happened to start skimming it last night, and wound up staying awake until after midnight finishing it. He was planning on returning it to the library that day after work.

He skimmed through the pages again, reading over some of the stories. Part of the reason the book kept him up all night was the startling truth, the way he could make the connections to his own family. Some of the less relatable stories were those detailing the hardships of the victim's own family, not just their spouses and in-laws. Jacob had briefly remembered that Chris had had a mother and a sister, both of whom never contacted Daphne and her family again after the condolence cards were sent. That had been one of the many hardships of that time. He knew if he ever lost contact with Stephanie's family, he'd be devastated.

The book still in his hands, Jacob suddenly understood what he needed to do with it. He drove over to Daphne's house and dropped the book in her mailbox, smiling to himself as he imagined her reaction to it while he drove back to work.


	7. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

After school, Fiona and her mother walked up the stairs of the library. Like many of the other students, Fiona made this trip at least once a week. Looking at books was fun, and most of the time she saw some of her friends from class.

But today she couldn't get as excited as she usually did. Fiona had been one of the first to get to school this morning, and had noticed that Miss Monica seemed very nervous. That confused Fiona. She was _sure_ that Miss Monica was an angel too…and she thought that angels never had reason to be nervous. Unable to stand it any longer, she almost opened her mouth to ask that question, but then remembered what her mother had said. No talking about angels.

So instead Fiona asked, "When are we going to have Chris over again, Mommy?"

"I don't know, sweetie, we'll see," Adrianna answered as they entered the library. After a moment, she smiled down at her daughter. "You two really had fun yesterday, didn't you?"

Her mother sounded surprised at that. Shrugging, Fiona answered, "Yeah. He was a little shy at first, but Miss Gloria said we should play Candyland, and he had fun once we started. I think he's just afraid to talk to kids he doesn't know."

"You shouldn't have bothered Miss Gloria like that. I'm sure she wanted to return to our meeting," Adriana chided.

Fiona shook her head. "She didn't mind at all, even though she kept losing at Candyland."

"Oh, is that so?" Adriana replied quietly. "Well, enough of that for now. Come with me while I pick up that book your father wanted…"

:Looking at her with pleading eyes, Fiona asked, "Can I go to the kids' section? Please?"

"No, you know the rules, Fiona. You have to stay in the same section as….oh, hello Tess," Adrianna greeted as the older woman approached them.

"Hello, Adriana," Tess replied with a smile, then turned to Fiona. "Hello there Fi, good to see you again. I don't suppose you'd want to come with me to the children's section, would you?"

Before Fiona could let out a squeal of delight, Adriana said, "Oh, no, Tess. You're working – I'm sure you're far too busy to be put on baby-sitting duty, but thank you for the sweet offer…"

"Don't you worry about it, baby. I so happen to be working there at the moment anyway, so it will be no trouble at all to keep an eye on such a good girl like Fi. You do what you need to do," Tess insisted, taking Fi's hand while the small group approached the children's section.

Adriana looked like she might argue, but sighed. "Alright. Thank you so much, Tess. Fiona, be good. If I hear you were bad for Tess, you're in big trouble, got it?"

"Got it," Fiona agreed, watching while her mother went to the back of the library. As she and Tess walked further into the large room that contained the children's section, she remarked, "I don't get why Mommy wouldn't let me come here by myself. I'm a big girl – I can find a book."

Laughing, Tess replied, "You may not understand it now, but she's just looking out for your safety. Children shouldn't wander away from their parents while in a public place like a library or a store."

"I guess. And at least she's not as bad as Chris' mommy. He has to stay right next to her all the time," Fiona said. As they were talking, she'd begun looking at the dozens of thin picture books in the bookcases lining the walls.

Standing next to her, Tess asked, "Do you think Chris minds that his mother doesn't let him do much?"

"Well, no, but maybe he should," Fiona answered. "I think that Chris thinks because his mommy doesn't let him do a lot of stuff, he thinks he can't. Like, we were at the playground once, and he thought he'd fall and get a cut if he climbed on the monkey bars. But I did it, and I didn't fall. And even if he did get a cut, so what? I get Band-Aids all the time for my cuts…too many, my mom says. But they have Dora the Explorer on them, so I don't mind."

Tess gave a loud chuckle. "Baby, you are one smart little girl. I think Chris needs a friend like you."

"Me too," Fiona agreed. She quieted down while she focused her attention on picking out some books. Her mother let her take out two every week.

Noticing that she was having a hard time deciding, Tess asked, "Do you need help picking a book?"

"No, I'll be okay," Fiona said. Then her gaze fell on a book that had a cartoon angel on the cover, with fluffy wings and a shiny gold halo. "Wait, Tess? Can I ask you something?"

Tess had been about to go back to her desk, but stopped at Fiona's question. Now she sat on one of the child-sized stools scattered throughout the room, facing the young girl. "What is it, baby?"

Though she still remembered her mother's warning of no angel talk, Fiona couldn't help it. Ever since she met Tess, she'd gotten this…feeling from the woman. A feeling of warmth and pureness. And sometimes she even saw a soft light around Tess, but it was faint enough that she almost thought it was the glare of whatever lamp was nearby. But then how could she explain that she got the same feeling around Miss Monica and Miss Gloria? Clearing her throat, Fiona asked, "Tess…do you believe in angels?"

"Yes I do," Tess answered without hesitation.

Encouraged by that, Fiona pressed, "Do you believe in _real_ angels, though? Ones that look like humans, but really aren't? I know it sounds silly, and Mommy told me not to talk about it, but I really believe…"

"So do I, baby. Very much so," Tess assured her. "Why do you ask?"

Fiona lowered her eyes. "Mommy says that those types of angels aren't real. That angels are only in Heaven. But…I know that's not true, Tess. I _know_ it. But I can't get Mommy to believe me, because whenever I try, I get in trouble. I need help, and I don't know what to do."

"Don't worry about it, baby. I have a feeling she'll come around if I talk to her about it," Tess replied, wrapping Fiona in a one-armed hug.

With Tess' arm around her, Fiona somehow knew that the librarian meant what she said. Grinning, she replied, "Thanks, Tess."

* * *

"She'll be here soon, Chris," Gloria said to the young boy, his hand in hers. The two and Monica were standing outside after school…an hour after class let out. Daphne had called the school at three, explaining with ill-concealed panic that there was traffic in the morning and arrived to work late, and therefore wouldn't be there for another hour. Monica had assured her that she and Gloria would be able to watch him until Daphne arrived.

But Chris' fears hadn't been so easily comforted. For the whole hour he constantly asked why his mother wasn't there and when she _was_ going to be there. Gloria and Monica kept trying to distract the boy with games or coloring, but it was no use. Every attempt ended with Chris asking for his mother and choking back tears.

So now Chris was squeezing the angel's hand so tight, she wasn't sure if he would be able to let go when his mother _did_ arrive. "Chris, did you hear me?" Gloria asked, smiling when the boy looked up at her rather than his fixed gaze on his sneakers. "I said that she should be hear soon. Remember, she said an hour, and it's five minutes to four now."

"I know," Chris whispered, staring at the street as if he hoped he could will his mother to pull up that very moment.

"I don't know what to do, Monica," Gloria said in a hushed voice so the young boy couldn't hear. "We've done everything to get him to feel better. I don't know if I'm making any progress on this assignment at all."

Giving her an encouraging smile, Monica replied, "Don't worry, wee one. You're doing fine. Try getting him to talk. Maybe since his mother is almost here he'll open up."

Gloria frowned, but nodded. "Okay." Letting out a sigh, she asked the boy, "Chris…has something been bothering you? Even before your mother called, you seemed upset today."

"It's no big deal," Chris shrugged.

Tilting her head, Gloria pressed, "Are you sure? You know, if you have a problem, I'd love to hear it. I'm a good listener."

"Well…" Chris hesitated, then finally said, "You see, my mommy and I went to the club to get some boxes, and we saw Uncle Jacob. I wanted to hang out with him real bad, 'cause I haven't spent time with him a long while. But Mommy said no. She _always_ says no when I ask to go visit him, or see my cousins or Aunt Stephanie. I don't even see Grandma and Grandpa Miller anymore. I miss them, all of them." He paused to hiccup as tears welled in his eyes. "And I don't think that Mommy will let me see them ever again, and….it's not fair." Then he couldn't hold it back anymore and burst into tears.

Gloria quickly knelt down to his level and took him into her arms. "Oh, Chris, it's okay. It will all be okay. I promise, Monica and I are working on it…" Gloria trailed off, as out of the corner of her eye she could see her supervisor giving her a warning look. Clearing her throat, she corrected, "I mean, _will_ work on it. We'll talk to your mom if you want…"

"No, it's okay," Chris grumbled, wriggling out of Gloria's arms and wiping his eyes.

A few moments later, Gloria stood up and the three watched as Daphne's car drove down the street and park in a spot nearby. Daphne jumped out of the car the second she turned off the ignition, her pocketbook barely over her shoulder as she ran onto the sidewalk, Chris running to hug her. Picking him up and holding him on her hip, Daphne walked over to the angels. "Thank you so much for watching him. I'm so sorry, I just got into work so late…"

"It's really no trouble at all. It was a pleasure to watch him," Gloria interrupted, but inside she was glaring at the woman. _Doesn't she see what she's doing to Chris? The boy needs his family, and she's too wrapped up in her grudge against them to notice. In fact, she'd notice a lot more if she'd just realize that there are other peoples' feelings she has to consider._

Shaking her head, she glanced at her supervisor. Monica also looked as if she would've given the woman a piece of her mind if Chris wasn't present. So it was with a suppressed grimace that she watched Daphne tell Chris to go get into his car seat. Before Daphne could walk away, Monica put a hand on her shoulder and asked, "Daphne, I need a word with you..."

"If it's anything like the 'word' you had with me this morning, it'd be in your best interest to drop the subject now. In fact, I think I deserve an apology," Daphne snapped.

Gloria swallowed the nervous lump in her throat. Her supervisor had an angry look in her eye that was rarely, if ever, seen before. The young angel sent up a silent prayer of thanks that Tess wasn't here instead, for she knew the supervisor would speak to Daphne much harsher than Monica was about to now.

Her eyes narrowed, Monica retorted, "I'm sorry if I offended you in any way this morning, but I'm not sorry for what I said. If you paid any attention to your son at all, you would realize how much he needs your _support_ right now, not your overprotection. Whether you like it or not, Chris needs to learn to interact with other children before it affects him for the rest of his life. I think he would greatly benefit from visits to the guidance counselor several times a week."

"Well, that's your opinion, isn't it?" Daphne spat, shaking with restrained rage. "And a fairly inaccurate one. I am not a bad mother, Monica, and it is outrageous that you would make that assumption after only teaching my son for three days. It is also alarming that you would make that bold suggestion when you are only a substitute teacher. Lord knows how many other parents you have subjected to these painful ideas of yours. In fact, along with taking Chris out of school tomorrow, I am reporting both of you to the PTA."

Monica was shocked speechless, and Gloria was sure her own face was an unnatural shade of white. "B-Both of us?" Gloria sputtered.

"Yes, both of you. Adriana Giambelli told me what Fiona told her, and I am stunned that an assistant teacher would mislead a child like that. Now, if you will both excuse me, Chris is waiting in the car," Daphne answered. Then she spun around on her heels, got into her car and drove off.

Watching the car speed away, Gloria's jaw dropped. "I can't believe that she…and you said…and she said _that_…"

"I know, Gloria, I know," Monica replied, shock and frustration in her tone. "But…the Father will make everything right. I'm sure of it."

"Let's hope that happens before Tess finds out about this," Gloria remarked.

* * *

_Who the hell does she think she is?_ Daphne fumed as she drove home, her grip tight on the steering wheel. _The Irish twit. What does she have against me? She has been on my back about Chris since she came here…it's like she has an unhealthy obsession with putting my son in therapy. And that's just what I'll say when I speak at the PTA meeting next week. Monica better pray that the regular teacher gets back before then…_

Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard a rustling sound from the back, where Chris was in his car seat. Looking in the rearview mirror, she saw her son leaning over, searching through his backpack on the floor. "Chris, are you okay?"

"Yeah, Mom. Just looking for my action figures," Chris replied, then smiled with satisfaction when he pulled out the toys and sat back up. "I found them!"

Studying his reflection in the mirror, Daphne gasped quietly when she saw the redness in her son's eyes. "Honey, have you been crying?"

There was silence. Then Chris answered, "A little. I'm not hurt or anything, though."

"Then why were you crying?" Daphne demanded.

His gaze on his action figures, Chris explained, "Well, I was talking to Miss Gloria about how much I miss Uncle Jacob and Aunt Stephanie…"

"Miss Gloria has been talking to you, too?" Daphne exclaimed. _What is this unnatural interest those two have in my son?_

"Uh huh. She's real nice. She listens to me," Chris answered.

Daphne felt her suspicion rise as she tried to figure out what Monica and Gloria could be up to. Though she quickly searched for public records of them one day during her lunch break, she couldn't find anything. And she _still_ didn't know either of their last names, which was disturbing her to the point where she might call the police by the time the next week was through. "Chris, Miss Gloria and Miss Monica…are not good people. Well, not _normal_, anyway. I am taking you out of school tomorrow. If I do put you back in school on Monday, I don't want you to talk to either of them, understood?"

"But Miss Monica is the teacher!" Chris argued, surprised.

Letting out a steadying breath, Daphne explained, "Of course you can talk to her during class, if she asks you a question. But if she or Miss Gloria tries to approach you during free time, or when you're by yourself, go play with another classmate, okay?"

"Okay, Mom," Chris agreed with reluctance in his voice. "I wish I _was_ going to school tomorrow, though. Fiona said she was bringing her Candyland game to school for free time, and I wanted to play."

"Y-you did?" Daphne stuttered. Chris has _never_ expressed a real desire to play with other children before.

"Yeah. And…I had fun at her house yesterday. Can we go there again?"

Daphne nearly laughed from relief. _Thank God,_ she thought. _Chris is _finally_ breaking out of his shell. See, I knew it was just a matter of time. Therapy, my butt._ "Maybe we should invite her over our house next time – we have some games she might like. Are there any boys you want to invite over?"

"No!" Chris nearly shouted. The conversation was ended as he kept his mouth shut.

Sighing, Daphne cursed herself for pushing him too far. She just _had_ to ask about other boys in the class. Honestly, that hadn't been just for Chris – if she invited Fiona over, that meant she and Adriana would be alone to talk for the entire play date. She hadn't liked Adriana the moment she met her, though. The other mother was too loud, too blunt, and didn't watch Fiona close enough. Well, Daphne would have to put on her best hostess smile and deal with it.

Determined to think about something else, Daphne's thoughts fell on something else Chris had said. It registered that Chris had spoken to Miss Gloria not about his classmates, but about his aunt and uncle. Though she knew he missed the family, but she just couldn't bring herself to let him be around them. Not after the way they treated her after his father died. Who knew what false ideas they would fill his head with?

And she couldn't bear the thought of having to see them every time they picked him up or dropped them off. Have to remember how they neglected her in her time of need, or how they told her she was ridiculous for hoping that husband would be alive. They didn't care about her, and she wasn't about to subject her son to the same kind of treatment…

"Mommy! You passed our house!"

Daphne snapped out of her thoughts to see that her son was right. "Sorry, honey," she said, turning the car around and parking in the driveway. As Chris grabbed his backpack and ran ahead, Daphne followed and let him into her house, then stopped to check her mail.

Feeling around the large metal box, she was surprised when her hand hit something hard. She pulled it out and was shocked to find it was the very same book Tess had tried to get her to read a few days ago. _Did Tess drop this off?_ Daphne thought. _Funny how she tried to get me to read this book before the meeting with Adriana, before she knew about my connection to the attacks…_ She paused when her gaze fell on the card in the back, where there was a list of previous renters, and gasped when she saw the most recent one.

It certainly wasn't Tess, but her brother. 'Jacob Miller' was clearly printed on the line.

_How dare he!_ Daphne thought with rising anger, snapping the book shut. _Was this supposed to be some kind of message? Were there things in this book that he thought would explain his actions after the attacks?_ Walking into her house, she threw the book on the side table in the living room, with full intention of returning it as soon as possible. _Well, if he has something he wants to say to me, he can say it himself._


	8. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

"So when is this meeting supposed to start?" Andrew asked, running a nervous hand through his hair. He, Tess, Monica, and Gloria were standing together in the large gathering hall, which the social club had let the group use for the event. The room was set up with about thirty metal folding chairs set in the center. To the side, a large wooden buffet table was laden with baked goods and drinks. Another table was set up perpendicular to that one, on which was set a clipboard and a stack of papers. There were open doors on either side of that.

The angels were standing near an end of the snack table, watching as people filed in. Looking at the clock on one of the walls, Tess answered, "About five minutes, angel boy. Seven 'o clock, sharp."

"I hope Daphne shows up," Monica said, her gaze riveted to both doors.

"Well, me too, but I hope she doesn't yell at us," Gloria confessed, yesterday's incident clearly still fresh in her mind. "Or see us and walk out."

Monica frowned at that. "Oh, that didn't even occur to me. Maybe Gloria and I should make ourselves scarce."

"I don't think so, Miss Wings," Tess replied in a tone that left no room for argument.

But Andrew couldn't help himself. Monica and Gloria did have a point. "But Tess, Daphne needs to stay for this meeting. It might ruin all our assignments if she decides to leave."

"No. The Father gave us all strict orders to be here," Tess ordered, giving them all a serious look. "Now, if during the course of the meeting there's reason for us to leave, then that's what we'll do. But fear of confrontation is no reason for an angel to disobey His orders, am I understood?" As the other three nodded in agreement, she softened her voice and added, "By the way, angel boy, I've been reassigned."

The three gave her a surprised glance. Raising an eyebrow, Andrew asked, "To _who_?"

"Them," Tess answered, looking to the door farthest away from the angels.

Just then, Adriana and Fiona walked in, the mother holding onto her daughter's hand. Approaching the table that had the papers on it, Adriana put her jacket down and started handing them out to those who walked in, greeting them with a smile. Meanwhile, Fiona put her own jacket on the back of a folding chair and sat down with a bored look on her face.

Confused, Gloria said, "I don't remember you saying that they were part of the case."

"They weren't, until you decided to ask Fiona for help," Tess retorted, while Gloria blushed from embarrassment. "Fiona's ability to see angels has now been unlocked, and she'll have to deal with it for the rest of her life. But it won't be easy if her mother refuses to believe her. I've been instructed to talk to both of them before the night is through."

"Again, I'm really sorry…." Gloria began.

Tess interrupted, "It's taken care of now, but for future assignments it would do you good to learn the meaning of the word 'inconspicuous.'"

Gloria's face was now a deep shade of red. "Right."

"Aw, go easy on her, Tess," Andrew chuckled, feeling sorry for the younger angel. "We've all had assignments that haven't gone exactly as planned."

"Yes, and it's all worked out for the best," Monica pointed out.

The four looked up as Fiona got out of her chair and ran toward them, apparently unable to contain her boundless energy any longer. "Hi! I didn't know you'd all be here…who are you? I'm Fiona," Fiona said, looking at Andrew.

"I'm Andrew," he replied, holding out a hand. "It's nice to meet you."

"Hi," Fiona replied, shaking his hand. She stared at the four of them for a moment in total wonder. Her eyes wide, she whispered, "You're all angels, aren't you?"

Andrew stared back, also in amazement. Sure, he'd met humans with angel sensitivity before, but those humans were few and far between. "Y-yes," he managed to reply.

Glancing at Tess, Fiona said, "You're still going to talk to my mommy, right? And tell her who you are?"

"Absolutely," Tess answered.

"Good," Fiona replied, breathing a sigh of relief.

The small group was soon joined by Adriana, who rushed over just as she realized her daughter was not sitting in her seat. "Fiona! I told you to stay in one spot."

"Sorry, Mommy," Fiona apologized, not looking her mother in the eye. Instead she pointed to the Angel of Death next to her. "Mommy, this is Andrew."

"Andrew…you're not that new member of the social club my husband mentioned, are you?" Adriana asked as the two shook hands.

Andrew nodded. "Yes, I am. You've got a charming daughter."

"Chatty, you mean," Adriana chuckled. "I would've left her at home, but my husband is on a business trip and I couldn't find a sitter at last minute. Word is that Daphne is bringing Chris too – she couldn't find anyone either."

"Children at a meeting like this?" Gloria replied.

Adriana gave a heavy sigh. "I know, I know. Talk of September 11th is not appropriate for children to hear. But I couldn't skip the meeting after I helped organize it, and Daphne…I think she needs this more than anyone. There is a smaller meeting room off to the side of this one, so I was thinking maybe Daphne and I could rotate baby-sitting duty…"

"I'll do it!" Gloria offered with a bit too much enthusiasm.

Hesitating, Adriana argued, "Oh, no, I couldn't let you…miss the meeting just to baby-sit my child…"

Andrew frowned, knowing that Adriana had reservations about the younger angel's trustworthiness. It amazed him sometimes how wrong humans' impressions of others could be. "If it helps at all," he interrupted. "I know for a fact that Gloria will take excellent care of both Fiona and Chris. And if you want, I'll check in every once in a while if you'd rather…she had some help."

"Really? Oh, Andrew, you're an angel," Adriana replied without thinking. Realizing what she'd said, she looked down at her daughter, who'd narrowed her eyes with suspicion at her mother's words. "Not a _real_ angel, Fiona. It's an expression."

A knowing smirk on her lips, Fiona replied, "Okay, Mommy." She then looked longingly at the dessert table. "Can I have a chocolate chip cookie, please?"

"I suppose one couldn't hurt," Adriana answered as her daughter grabbed one from the tray. Starting up the coffee maker, she asked the angels, "Would any of you like a cup of coffee?"

Andrew, Tess, and even Gloria all immediately glanced at Monica. The Irish angel was almost biting her lip to keep herself from saying yes, while giving Andrew and Tess pleading looks. Though he had a feeling that it probably wouldn't do any good for Monica to be on a caffeine high that night, he took her side and mouthed_ Let her have one._

Shrugging, Tess turned to Monica and mouthed, _Decaf, Miss Wings. Decaf!_

Monica smiled and replied to Adriana, "Yes, please. Decaf."

"Okay, it should be done in a few minutes," Adriana said, unaware of the silent conversation that had just taken place.

While her mother went off to talk to others who had just arrived, Fiona laughed, as she'd seen the entire exchange. "Angels like coffee?"

"Yes they do," Monica answered, looking at the coffee maker even as she spoke.

Andrew laughed. "Some more than others."

* * *

While Monica gulped down her coffee, Tess and Andrew took seats among the fifteen or so humans who had arrived. Daphne and Chris had arrived a few minutes ago, so Gloria went into the other room with the two children to baby-sit. Like Adriana, Daphne had some reservations about the situation, but was more vocal in her mistrust of Gloria. Still, the rest of the angels reassured her of the youngest angel's credibility, and Daphne reluctantly agreed to the set up given there was no other choice.

However, Tess also noticed the glares Daphne was sending Monica. Turning to the Irish angel to the left of her, she began, "Now, explain something to me."

"Yes, Tess?" Monica replied, keeping her eyes looking down at her coffee.

"Please explain why Miss Ice Queen over there," Tess said, indicating Daphne, who was in a seat across the circle, "Keeps glaring at you. Did something happen?"

There was no response for a long moment. Finally Monica managed to whisper, "Maybe…"

"Miss Wings! You are an experienced supervisor now, who should know that keeping secrets is never good for an assignment," Tess chided.

Swallowing a lump in her throat, Monica replied, "I'm sorry! It's just that, well, I haven't gotten to spend much time with Daphne, and she _is_ my assignment, so I tried to talk to her before and after school yesterday…"

"I take it those meetings didn't go so well," Tess remarked with a sigh. It seemed that this case as a whole was near impossible. Every angel working on it was enduring setbacks at every turn.

Monica shook her head. "Not well at all, I'm afraid. The second one ended with Daphne…threatening to report Gloria and me to the school board."

"What?" Tess almost shouted. Making an effort to keep her voice low, she added, "How could you let it get that bad? And Gloria, too? Oh, Father help us."

Before Monica could defend herself or Gloria, a woman a few seats away from them who looked to be in her forties stood up and clapped her hands. The general murmur of conversation died down as she began to speak in a clear voice, "Thank you all for coming to support building a September 11th memorial in the neighborhood. I'd like to take this opportunity to thank Adriana and Tess, who both helped in making this meeting possible. And also, to the Bluestone social club for allowing the use of this lovely meeting hall."

There was a small round of applause while Tess found herself blushing. The supervisor angel hadn't done much more than spending a few hours with Adriana after the library's closing hours, making phone calls and sending out emails about the event.

As the applause faded, the woman continued, "Now, as some of you may not know, this meeting is also about supporting each other in our mission to get the memorial built. For the first half of the meeting, I invite all of you to share personal stories related to the attacks. We'll discuss business like raising funds for the memorial afterwards."

When she sat down, Tess' gaze shifted towards Daphne…who was seated only about ten seats away from her family. Michael, Sarah, and Jacob had arrived shortly after Daphne, but so far the three avoided her, and she avoided them. The thought had crossed Tess' mind that this meeting could end in a family shouting match, and it was clear that it had crossed the minds of everyone gathered as well. Many were working to evade eye contact with them at all costs, while some openly stared at the family with expectant looks.

The mounting tension was deflated when Adriana, on Tess' other side, cleared her throat and stood up, causing everyone to jump. "I guess I'll start."

"What 9/11 story could _you_ possibly have?" Daphne blurted. Then she lowered her eyes in shame at her brief loss of control.

Though she wouldn't have voiced it quite the same way, Tess herself was curious. Maybe there was more to her reassignment than she thought.

For the sake of keeping the peace, Adriana ignored that comment. "Not many of you know this, but…I had a younger sister." Stifled and audible gasps circled the room, but she paid them no heed and pressed on. "Her name was Phoebe, and she was a college student at NYU. She…she wanted to earn some extra money, so…she got a job working in the gift shop of the World Trade Center."

At this point, Adriana was wiping tears from her eyes, her words emerging as half-sobs. "We were all so proud of her – she'd gone through a rebellious stage before then, and this was her first 'real job.' When she called home saying she wanted to go to work in a suit one day just like the businessmen she saw, Mom couldn't keep the grin off her face for weeks," she said with a weak chuckle at the memory. All mock cheerfulness was instantly put aside a moment later. "Then came September 11, 2001. She'd just gotten to work that morning a few minutes early, so she decided to visit some of her intern friends on a higher floor. She was on the 63rd when the planes hit." Finally Adriana put her head in her hands and broke down in tears. "She was only eighteen-years-old. Every day I think, 'If only she hadn't gotten there early, she would've lived. She would've been at her job, on the ground floor, and able to get out in time.'"

When it became clear that the story was finished, the group started voicing their sympathy with variations of "I'm so sorry" and "I had no idea." Tess herself fought tears back. As Adriana sat back down. Tess tried her best to comfort the woman, not resisting in the least when the woman held onto the angel for support.

_Now it makes sense,_ Tess thought as she comforted Adriana. _I wasn't reassigned just to help Fiona. I was sent for Adriana also._

Adriana managed to calm herself down, quietly thanking Tess as she wiped the tear streaks off her face and sat straight in her chair. "I'm sorry about that. But…it still hurts. That's what you have to realize after an event like this. The pain and anger of losing someone you love never goes away. But…you have to learn to move on. You have to accept that living through that pain over and over again won't bring that person back." Then she hesitated, but still confessed, "I'm not perfect, though. Sometimes I'm still overwhelmed with anger at God for taking her away from me."

Glancing at Andrew and Monica, Tess could see that both angels were using every bit of self-control they had not to launch into a speech about human free will. They both knew that Tess would have to be the one to do it, since she was the angel assigned to Adriana. But Tess gave them both warning looks anyway just for good measure.

Until the time came, Tess settled for just listening to the meeting and offering guidance when she could. She had a feeling she would be called into action before the night was through.

* * *

Daphne sat there in shock after Adriana's confession, the rest of the conversation becoming background noise for her thoughts. As much as she tried to, she could not take her gaze off Adriana.

_How could I not have known?_ Daphne wondered in awe. The consequences of that day were reflected in all her actions, all her thoughts, just below the emotional shield she'd built. Surely she would have recognized that same devastation in someone she saw often. But by some miracle Adriana seemed…normal. The mother was social and trusting. Fiona was as outgoing as they came. How did she do it?

Soon Daphne was overcome by confusion, and since she didn't like confusion, she replaced it with envy. Daphne's life had been ruined by the attacks, yet…while it was now apparent that the other mother hadn't come out unscathed, _her_ life was still intact. It wasn't fair, not fair at all.

And it didn't help that she felt her family staring at her. She knew what they were thinking. _See? _Adriana_ didn't fall apart after the attacks. What happened to you?_

Well, they had no right to think that. They didn't know what she'd been going through, couldn't know, didn't bother to try to know. Envy found a companion in hot anger, and Daphne didn't know how much longer she would be able to control herself.

But she made herself stay. At the very least she had to be polite and listen to the other stories. And other people were still looking at her, as if daring her to crack. While the conversation flow continued, however, Daphne's emotions began to take hold of her. It registered in the back of her mind that Monica, her parents and her brother kept giving her concerned looks, but she ignored them as her thoughts became an angry stream.

_It's not fair, all of it. Why should Adriana be able to handle this better than me? Why couldn't I get a hold of myself? Why did my family treat me that way? Why did Chris become so introverted while Fiona became the way she did?_

_The attacks affected both of us the same way, and Adriana was able to put her life back together._

_So what's wrong with me?_

Her thoughts stayed along that line throughout the rest of the talk. Finally the group got up for a twenty-minute break to eat and mingle. Daphne had no intention to do either. She began to make her way to the door and didn't stop when she saw Monica approaching her.

"You, stay away from me," Daphne snapped over her shoulder. She did _not_ feel like dealing with the substitute teacher that moment, for she knew she would say something she'd regret.

But Monica kept following her until they were both outside the meeting room in a long hallway. "Daphne, please, wait…"

"Why are you doing this, Monica…if that even is your real name," Daphne spat, turning around to face the surprised woman. "That's right. I tried looking both you and Gloria up, but I couldn't find anything. And don't think I didn't notice that you haven't given out your last name. I don't know what you're hiding, and frankly, I don't want to know."

There was a flash of temper in Monica's eyes as she retorted, "Can't you see I'm only trying to help? I don't mean you or your son any harm…I just want to help…"

"Well don't!" Daphne nearly screamed, tears threatening to spill over. "I don't want or need your help! Just leave my son and me the hell alone!"

Ignoring the shock in the woman's face, Daphne whirled around, with the intention of going down the hallway to pick up her son. But something made her turn back around.

She gasped. Monica had disappeared.

_I'm going crazy,_ Daphne thought, shaking her head. Calming herself down, she went next door to the smaller room and walked in to find her son, Fiona, and Gloria sitting at a table talking. The two children were coloring in the coloring books she'd made Chris bring in his backpack. Clearing her throat, she said, "Chris, we're leaving. Say good-bye to Fiona and Miss Gloria."

"Aw, Mom!" Chris whined, not putting down the crayon in his hand. "I don't want to leave…"

"Now, Christopher," Daphne ordered.

Making sure to keep her breath steady, she helped Chris gather the books and crayons, shoving them into his backpack. She was aware that both Gloria and Fiona were staring at her with concern, but she didn't care.

Before they left, Gloria approached her. "Daphne…are you alright?" she whispered so that the children couldn't hear. "Do you want to talk about it? Or if you need some time alone, I'm sure Adriana won't mind dropping Chris off when the meeting is over…"

'I'm fine," Daphne said through clenched teeth. When Gloria backed off, she took Chris' hand, and the two headed down the hallway to the exit.


	9. Chapter 8

A/N: It's finally coming around the bend, folks! (or rather...Lauren and Yva...) It's painfully obvious that this is a transition chapter, so next time expect loads of revelations and heartfelt conversations.

Special thanks to faithful reviewer LittleGloriaFaith24 and new (but equally appreciated) reviewer Yva J.!

* * *

**Chapter 8**

Standing next to Andrew in the meeting room, Jacob' grip tightened on his full coffee cup as he watched his sister run out into the hall. "And there she goes," he muttered, looking at his watch. "And the time is now…seven twenty-five. Dad owes me five bucks."

"Excuse me?" Andrew asked, his gaze half on the door through which Daphne had gone.

"Dad and I had a bet going. I said she wouldn't last a half hour in here," Jacob explained, noticing that Andrew was keeping his eye on Monica, who was following his sister. "You're really hot for her, aren't you?"

_That_ got Andrew's attention. "W-what? Who?"

"That woman. I think Mom said she was the new substitute for Chris' class…Monica, right? She your wife or something? I saw you meeting her outside the club the other day," Jacob answered, taking a casual sip of his coffee.

His eyes widening, Andrew nearly spat out the coffee he'd just consumed. "_Monica_? My _wife_? N-no, no, not at all…really, she's just a good friend."

"Sure," Jacob chuckled, amused by the other man's flustered expression.

Eager to change the subject, Andrew asked, "So, have you gotten a chance to talk to Daphne since the meeting started?"

"No, and I wasn't looking to. The last thing I need is another brush off," Jacob said with a frown. But he was a little concerned for her. She'd seemed upset when she ran from the room just then, and he was getting his old brotherly instincts to go see if she was okay.

Andrew took the cup of coffee out of Jacob's hand. "Go after her, Jacob. It's time to let grudges die and help your sister. She needs you now."

"Uh…okay," Jacob agreed, a little disturbed by Andrew's sudden serious and knowing persona. He decided not to give it another thought and ran out of the room after his sister. Not finding her there, he went back in the room, got his jacket, and said good night to his parents. If he knew Daphne at all, then at the moment she was getting her son and going home. And he would be waiting for her.

He could feel nervous energy building inside him as he drove to his sister's house for the second time in a week. This was it; he knew it. Finally he would confront her about all the crap she's given him and their parents for the past six years. He knew it wouldn't be easy and would result in several screaming matches, but he was prepared to take it. This nonsense had gone on long enough. They both needed closure.

But he didn't have to verbally attack her right away. First he'd do what he said he was going to do – check on her.

Pulling up to the house, he saw her car in the driveway. He'd half expected her to be home already since she got a few minutes head start. Letting out a deep breath, he walked up the path and rang the doorbell. No answer. "Daph, you in there? It's Jacob."

The door was yanked open with an angry force, and his sister stood before him. "'It's Jacob'? What, you thought I wouldn't recognize your voice?"

"Maybe, seeing as we haven't talked in a while," Jacob spat. Remembering his reason for going there, he softened his tone and added, "A-Andrew said you looked upset and suggested I go after you."

Daphne narrowed her eyes. "So you're only here as a favor to him?"

"No, I…damn it, Daphne! Can't you ever just say 'hello'?" Jacob exclaimed with frustration.

For a second it looked as if she would slam the door in his face, but instead opened it and stepped to the side. "I suppose you want to come in?"

"It would be nice," Jacob said, stepping into the foyer at her indication. They sat together in the living room to their left, him on the couch, she on the club chair next to it. "Where's Chris?"

"In his room," Daphne answered. Then she stared at him, clearly expecting him to carry the conversation.

Using all his will power not to break eye contact, Jacob began, "Look, I, um, just wanted to come over and see you were okay. You seemed upset after Adriana's…confession…"

"I'm fine," Daphne replied, her face blank of emotion.

Jacob just shook his head. "Sure you are," he mumbled, knowing that this was going to take a while.

* * *

"She's gone," Monica reported glumly, appearing in a corner of the room next to Tess and Andrew. "She told me to leave her alone, and…well, angels have to respect free will, don't they?"

Andrew gave her a weak smile. "Yes, they do. Don't worry – I'm sure you'll be able to get through to her. Maybe a little more so after tonight."

"Tonight? But Andrew, if anything, this meeting has made her more upset," Monica argued. At this point, she was so frustrated and exasperated that she herself was wondering if it wasn't better to heed her assignment's wishes and leave her "the hell alone."

Shaking his head, Andrew replied, "Who said anything about this meeting?"

"Just what are you talking about, angel boy?" Tess asked.

"Jacob just left," Andrew explained, his smile wide. "He was going to let Daphne walk out, but I got him to go after her. I think they're finally going to talk."

Tess laughed with relief. "Finally, something is going _right_ with this assignment."

"But do you really think this will cause Daphne to be more open to help?" Monica said, some hesitation in her voice. She didn't want to get her hopes up.

Andrew shrugged. "It's a possibility…"

"Or she could be worse off than she is now," Tess suggested. "But at least she's talking to Jacob, and that's more important than how it may affect other aspects of the assignment."

"Monica! I didn't see you come back in!"

The angels turned around to see Adriana approaching them, Sarah and Michael close behind. Monica felt her face redden in embarrassment – she thought no one would notice if she 'popped in.' "Oh, I, uh, came in through the other door." Eager to change the subject, she asked, "So, Adriana, that was quite a confession before. Are you okay now/"

"Yes, I'll be fine. I'm just sorry I cried all over Tess," Adriana said with a forced laugh.

"Don't worry about it, baby. I'm just glad you're feeling better," Tess assured her.

"Thanks. It's a little embarrassing, though. I meant it to be a short story to kick things off and…well, I guess there's nothing I can do about it," Adriana replied, frowning. Then she put a hand on Sarah's arm. "Anyway, Monica, Tess, and…Andrew, right? Well, this is Sarah and Michael Miller, Daphne's parents."

"We've met Andrew…and heard about Monica," Michael chuckled, looking at the way Andrew and Monica were standing close to each other.

Monica wrinkled her brow in confusion as Andrew jumped a few steps away from her. "I'm sorry?"

"We're not married!" Andrew insisted

Laughing, Sarah said, "Oh, I'm sorry about him. If you two are just going out then…"

Andrew groaned. "Not even that! She's a very good friend!"

"Yes, a very good friend," Monica repeated, herself blushing now that she realized what Michael had been insinuating. But she had to make a conscious effort not to laugh at Andrew's utter discomfort. Even Tess was barely containing a chuckle.

Clearing his throat, Michael explained, "Well, after that story Adriana told, Sarah and I wanted to come over and tell her how much we were touched by it, given our own similar experience. We got to talking and found out that her daughter was in Chris' class."

"Yes, little Fiona. She's adorable," Tess remarked, while Monica nodded in agreement.

Adriana smiled and said, "Thanks…I should probably check on her to…make sure she's not giving Gloria too much trouble."

"If I know Gloria, then I'm sure they're fine. I was planning on checking in soon anyway," Andrew assured her.

"Oh, I guess that'll be good then,' Adriana said, glancing around the room. "Have any of you seen Daphne? I wanted to ask what she thought of the meeting so far."

Not looking her in the eye, Monica replied, "She…left a few minutes ago." She let out a deep breath, the pain from the confrontation still fresh. It's never easy for an angel when her assignment outright rejects her.

"Oh no," Adriana sighed. "I was afraid that might happen."

Sarah massaged her forehead with her free hand, a cup of coffee in the other. "Me too. And I thought she'd really benefit from this. I was thinking maybe she'd feel better after hearing some of the stories, we'd end up talking…"

"I saw Jacob leave too. Maybe he went after her," Michael suggested.

Staring at them, Adriana asked, "Y-you and Daphne don't talk? Neither of you? But you live in the same area so I thought…"

"No, not at all. Unless we happen to run into each other," Sarah answered.

"So Daphne has unresolved issues," Adriana realized, speaking more to herself than the group she was standing with. "And here I always thought she just hated my guts."

Tess narrowed her eyes at her. "Well, from what I saw the other day, you haven't made your guts very likeable."

"Hey, I'm only human. When someone treats you like crap, you can't help but return the favor," Adriana snapped. Getting her emotions under control, she lowered her eyes. "Sorry, Tess."

"I don't think I'm the one you should be saying sorry to," Tess replied.

Monica couldn't even look at Tess right then. While she didn't owe Daphne an apology, she felt guilty for her earlier angry thoughts towards the woman. If her supervisor found out about them…well, she was sure she would get the lecture to end all lectures. "Well, it's a misunderstanding. I'm sure once you two talk you could be great friends.'

"I doubt it," Adriana retorted.

"I'll join in on that conversation," Michael offered. "Maybe we can work out whatever grudge she has against us."

Sarah nodded. "Let's call her when we get home. I'm sure she'll be looking to talk to someone by then."

"That's a good idea," Monica encouraged. Then, the meeting started to rejoin as people took their seats back in the circle. Once left alone, she, Tess, and Andrew let out a collective sigh of relief.

* * *

Crouching down in the hallway, Chris listened to his mother and uncle fight. His and his mother's house was two levels, with the bedrooms on the same main floor as the kitchen and formal living room, and the only room in the basement a large recreational area. So it was actually not a hassle for Chris to sneak into the kitchen for a cookie, or listen to his mother while she was on the phone…not that he did that often, of course.

But right then he wished the art of eavesdropping didn't come so easy. He wished he couldn't squish himself behind the hallway door. He wished he couldn't see his mother with tears in her eyes. And he wished he couldn't hear the adult words his mother and uncle were using against each other.

Holding back sobs, Chris watched the scene before him. His mother was standing opposite his uncle in the living room, her arms crossed. His uncle was standing there with a look of total annoyance, clenching his fists at his sides.

"_Why are you doing this, Jacob? Why won't you just _shut up_?" his mother screamed._

_Glaring at her, his uncle Jacob yelled back, "Maybe because I'm one of the few people left on this Earth who actually give a damn about you!"_

"_If you cared about me, you wouldn't have done what you did!"_

"_I'm not perfect like you seem to think you are! I'm sorry if I didn't act the way you thought I should've acted, but I _tried_! Damn it, I tried! But apparently that wasn't good enough for you! Now I know why everyone thinks you're a snobby b –"_

Chris covered his ears, somehow knowing that his mother wouldn't want him to hear what next came out of his uncle's mouth. In fact, he knew he shouldn't be hearing this fight at all.

With that in mind, he went back to his room and shut the door. But the yelling still came through the thin walls, loud and clear. Only paying heed to the strong desire to escape the loud, angry voices, he quickly changed out of his pajamas and back into the jeans and sweater he'd been wearing that day.

There was a door to the backyard in his room. His mom always kept it locked, and told him never to go out without asking her if it was alright first. But his mom was busy at the moment. He didn't know how to work a lock, but luckily his mother had left it open when she went out to water the backyard grass before. Within minutes he'd gone through the small backyard to the side gate, opened it with ease and closed that behind him.

He was on the sidewalk. At night.

But he only wanted to get away, so he ran for a few blocks, staying in the glow of the street lights. He automatically went in the direction of the nearby park, but after a while he stopped.

Cold fear began to settle in. He soon realized a few things.

He was outside.

It was dark.

And he was all by himself.

He wiped his sweaty palms on his jeans. There was no doubt his mother would yell at him real good if she found out he'd gone out by himself. The combination of fear of punishment and hearing the angry voices again kept him from trying to find his way back.

Well, he knew he didn't want to go to the park anymore. That was only more outside, more darkness.

Feeling tears in his eyes, Chris wiped them away, trying to figure out what to do, where to go. Then he remembered something Miss Gloria had said in one of their talks during free time.

_You know, Chris, if you don't want to talk to me, you can talk to God. He'll always listen to your problems. And He'll help you fix them, too._

Chris' family wasn't religious – his mother never took him to Church. And he didn't have much experience praying.

But in this case, he figured it couldn't hurt.

"God?" Chris whispered hesitation in his voice. "It's Chris Jameson. You probably don't know me very well, but I would really like some help. I don't know where to go, but I know I don't want to go back home. Just…please, help. However you do it…please, help. Thank you."

Then he stood there and waited. He didn't know what to expect…would an angel appear in a white gown and halo? How was God supposed to help him from way up there in Heaven?

He looked around while he waited, his gaze eventually falling on the street sign across the street to his right. It read "163 Street."

His eyes widened as he realized that he recognized that sign. It was the one his mother always passed on the way to the library, which he knew was only a five blocks away. He and his mother sometimes walked there during the summer. And if he remembered correctly…the heated foyer was always open.

Relief washing over him, he ran the whole way so fast that he was out of breath by the time he reached the large library building's front steps. Once he got to the foot of the stairs, he leaned against them, his head down as he fought to catch his breath.

"Now just what are you doing here, baby?"

He looked up like a deer caught in the headlights. The library was supposed to be closed, but there was Tess. And from behind her, looking down at him with a smile, was Miss Gloria.

"Tess? Miss Gloria?" Chris sputtered in shock as they came out to help him up the stairs. "W-What are you two doing here? The library's closed. And you…" he said, glancing to Gloria. "…were at the meeting watching Fi."

"Tess was here doing some extra work, so I came over after the meeting to help her. I don't mind, though. The library's one of my favorite places," Gloria explained while the three headed into the main room of the library.

Chris couldn't believe his luck. Here, he'd been expecting to spend the night by himself in the dark foyer. But now he was with two people he knew who let him in to the lighted library. "I'm glad you're both here. I didn't want to be by myself anymore."

"And why _are_ you by yourself?" Tess asked, her tone resembling his mother's when he was in trouble. "I doubt your mother would just let you wander around outside all alone."

Feeling shame creep in his face, Chris explained, "Mommy and Uncle Jacob were fighting. They were using adult words, and their voices were real loud. I didn't want to stay there."

"Aw, Chris," Gloria said, putting an arm around him in a hug. "It's alright now. You're safe here."

"But we are going to call your mother and let her know you're here," Tess told him.

Chris sighed. At this point, he didn't care if his mother found him, just as long as he didn't have to hear her say mean things to his uncle anymore. "Okay."


	10. Chapter 9

A/N: Whew, I gotta say, this chapter took a lot out of me. I honestly don't know how the TBAA show writers did it - revelations at the end of every single episode? Dear God, it's a challenge, and I've still got to write two more for the next chapter. Well, I've been ripping through these chapters, so I think I may slow down a bit and post the next chapter in a few days or so. Anyway, I hope it got it right. Enjoy the chaper.

* * *

**Chapter 9**

Standing across from her brother, Daphne held back a shocked gasp. Over her dead body would he see how much his words stung. "What did you just call me?"

"It was indirectly, but basically a snobby…" Jacob trailed off, realizing it would do neither of them good if he said the word again. "…'B' word."

"I've heard enough of this. You can see yourself out. I'm going to check on Chris," Daphne snapped, storming off down the hallway to her son's bedroom. She felt her face pale.

He wasn't there. The room was empty. His pajamas were on the bed. She'd put his clothes from that day in his laundry basket, yet they were gone from the top of the pile. But what nearly stopped her heart was the half-open back door.

_No, no, no…_ she thought, running out the back door, praying that Chris just went outside. But the yard was empty too. Tears threatening to spill, she put on a brave face and rushed back into the house. "Chris?" she yelled at the top of her lungs, her voice cracking. "Chris? This is not the time to be playing hide-and-seek!"

She checked every spot in the back hallway she could think of – her room, the small spare bedroom, the bathroom. Her face wet with tears, she finally went back into the kitchen. Jacob was still there.

"Why were you calling for Chris?" Jacob asked, his gaze on the tears falling from his sister's eyes. "Daphne…what happened?"

The announcement came out in a sob. "Chris – he's gone! The back door is open, the clothes from today were gone while his pajamas were on the bed…oh, God, Jacob! He ran away from home!"

"Sh, it's okay. It's going to be okay," Jacob assured her, trying to wrap her in a comforting hug. She resisted though, turning away and grabbing the phone on the wall. When she handed it to him, he asked hopefully, "You…want me to call our parents?"

Daphne shook her head. "No. There's a list of contact information for the mothers of the kids in Chris' class taped to the side of that cabinet. Start calling all of them and tell them to look out for Chris. If he's wandering around the neighborhood, one of them will be sure to find him."

"But Daph, if he's missing, shouldn't Mom and Dad…"

"There's no reason to worry them. I'm sure he's fine," Daphne interrupted, grabbing her jacket from the hall closet. "You stay here and make those calls. I'll start checking some of his favorite places. The park's not far from here."

Before he could reply, she was out the door, putting her coat on as she ran down the street. Thoughts raced through her mind, horrible thoughts that grew worse by the second. _What if something happens to him? What if…what if he's taken by someone?_ That last notion almost made her stop in her tracks, but she forced herself to keep going. She didn't want to start pointing fingers, but she never _did_ find information on Monica and Gloria, and the two _were_ talking to him a lot…

_No, don't be ridiculous,_ Daphne thought. _The chances of him running into them are a million to one. One of the mothers from school probably found him, took him in, and are calling the house right now._

With that thought, she paused at the entrance of the park and checked her cell phone. Nothing.

"Chris!" She shouted, starting to walk along the park perimeter. "Chris? If you're hiding somewhere, please come out!" She continued to call out as she searched through the park, checking in every corner and hidden spot she could find. "I'm not mad at you! I promise! Just please come out so I know you're safe!" Sobs began to mix with her words. "P-Please, Chris! Please!"

Finally she came across an isolated part of the park, the one place she hadn't checked. Chris wasn't there. Overwhelmed by hopelessness and worry, she let the tears flow as she sank into a nearby bench. "Oh, God," she cried, her head in her hands. "God…oh, God…please let Chris be okay…please let him be safe…"

"He is, Daphne."

Startled, Daphne looked up to find Monica standing before her. "You…" she seethed, jumping up from the bench. "Where is my little boy? What have you done with him?"

"I haven't done anything. God has. He has made sure that Chris is in good hands," Monica answered, a calm expression and demeanor about her.

Daphne stared at the woman, not sure if she should be afraid or confused. "G-God? What does He have to do with this?"

"Everything. Which is why He sent me to you."

Then, to Daphne's complete astonishment, Monica's plain clothes changed to a pure white outfit. And she was glowing with a heavenly light.

Slowly backing away, Daphne's eyes widened in surprise, her jaw dropping. "W-What are you?"

"I am an angel," Monica answered, as if it were the most natural thing in the world. "Sent here to help you."

Daphne's mind flashed to their earlier conversation. "B-But I told you to leave me alone, that I didn't want your help."

"God gives all His children a second chance," Monica explained, "And third chances, and fourth chances…as many as His children need to come back to Him." She stopped glowing, but was still dressed in white as she sat down on the bench. Indicating the spot next to her, the angel suggested, "Now please, sit down. I think we need to talk."

_It figures. The one person I peg as a kidnapper turns out to be an angel of God,_ Daphne thought in disbelief. Though she knew it wouldn't be easy, she began to think that maybe talking to Monica wouldn't be such a bad idea. But she had to know one thing first. "Please, Monica. Where is my son?"

"As I said, he is safe," Monica answered with a smile. "Chris is with two of God's other angels…Tess and Gloria."

"Gloria? She really is an angel?" Daphne gasped. Another memory of the evening popped up, to watching Monica, Tess, Gloria…and Andrew standing in a group. "Then I suppose Andrew…"

"Yes, he is as well," Monica confirmed.

Shaking her head in total bewilderment, Daphne sat down next to the angel. She cleared her throat and gave Monica a nervous smile. "I suppose I owe you a pretty big apology for some of our earlier conversations…"

* * *

"Why did we have to leave, Mommy?" Fiona whined, leaning her head against the car window. She was in her car seat, behind the passenger seat, after Gloria had baby-sat her.

Stopping at the red light, Adriana said, "Fiona, I told you. The meeting was over. I thought you would've been bored without Chris there."

"I was," Fiona said with a shrug, though her mother couldn't see it. "But Miss Gloria and I were playing War with a deck of cards after Chris left. Another half hour and I think I would've won."

"Miss Gloria had a deck of cards?"

"No, we found them," Fiona answered. While they'd both found them in a corner of the room, Fiona had a feeling that Miss Gloria made them appear with her angel magic. But Fiona wasn't about to tell her mother that.

"Fi…did you see Mrs. Jameson pick Chris up?"

"Yeah. Miss Gloria was worried about her after her and Chris left. I was worried too, because I saw that Chris' mommy's eyes were red and puffy. But Miss Gloria told me everything would be okay, because God would take care of it."

"Does Miss Gloria mention God a lot?"

Fiona thought about her answer for a second before replying, "Yeah…I guess she does. Miss Monica does sometimes too."

"Oh."

Then her mother didn't say anything more. Fiona didn't know what to make of her mother's questions, so she just forgot about it and busied herself during the car ride with thinking about school that day. Bringing in Candyland for free time had been fun with so many other kids to play with. But she'd missed the one kid she brought the game in for – Chris wasn't in school. It made her sad, because she knew how much her new friend liked the game…

Fiona bolted upright in her seat, glancing to her left.

"Mommy! Look!"

As she slowed the car down, Adriana remarked, "Huh, that's weird. I wonder why the library lights are on…"

"I know! There's Chris!" Fiona exclaimed. She got a glimpse of Chris walking into the library with Tess and Miss Gloria on either side of him. "Tess and Miss Gloria are there too!"

Adriana stared out her window in shock, bringing the car to a full stop at the side of the road. "B-But that's impossible! We just left the meeting five minutes ago! And Gloria and Tess were still there!"

"That's because they're angels," Fiona replied. She knew she wasn't supposed to say that, but in this case she had a feeling her mother would start to believe her.

Doubt on her face, Adriana turned the car around to the parking lot next to the library. "There has to be some explanation for this. People aren't in one place one minute and _appear_ somewhere else another. And I'm thinking that Chris' mother doesn't know he's here, so we should go see what's going on."

"Okay," Fiona said as the car pulled into a spot. Once it stopped and they began walking towards the steps, she looked up at her mother. "Mommy?"

"Yes?"

"If Tess lets me, can I get another book?" Fiona asked. Then took the aggravated look her mother gave her as a definite "no."

* * *

Meanwhile, Sarah, Michael, and Andrew were still at the meeting hall helping those who were still there clean up. Chairs need to be put away, while littered napkins and spilled coffee had to be wiped off the floor. As she folded the last chair, Sarah asked the other two, "How do you think Jacob's doing?"

"I don't know," Michael answered, but he also seemed to be troubled by the very same thought. "I just hope Daphne isn't too hard on him."

Andrew gave them both a reassuring smile. "Whatever happens, at least they're talking."

"Thank God for that," Sarah agreed.

The relative quiet was broken when a cell phone went off. It was Michael's, so he pulled it out of his pants' pocket. "Hello? Jacob, slow down, I can't understand you…_what_?"

"What is it, Michael?" Sarah demanded, alarmed by her husband's words. Andrew also stopped his sweeping and held the broom at his side as he listened.

Ignoring his wife's question, Michael continued the phone conversation. "Jacob, speak up! This stupid phone reception…okay, now Chris did what? He _ran away_?"

"Oh, God!" Sarah exclaimed, putting a hand to her pounding heart.

After some more talk, Michael closed the phone and looked at his wife and Andrew with a serious expression. "Jacob and Daphne got in a shouting match. When Daphne went to check on Chris, he was gone. He must've run away from the yelling. Jacob said that Daphne didn't want to call us, but he did anyway."

"Good. Come on, Michael. I don't care what Daphne may say, we're going over there," Sarah ordered, heading to the door. Her husband fell into step with her, as did Andrew. Looking at the young man, Sarah said, "Andrew, you're a sweetheart for wanting to come, but you really don't have to. You've only known us for a few days."

"Please, Sarah. I want to help," Andrew said.

Sarah hesitated, looking into the man's eyes. She could tell there was real kindness there, a real concern and desire to help out. "Fine," she said after a moment, and the three were in Michael's car within minutes. Before long, Michael was pulling up to park in front of his daughter's house.

They all jumped out of the car, Sarah leading the way up the walk and bursting into the house. Her son was sitting at the kitchen table with the phone to his ear. "…so if you could just keep an eye out for him, and call the house if…okay, thank you," Jacob was saying, hanging up the phone with a sigh. "Hey, Mom," he greeted when he looked up and saw his mother standing there.

"How are you holding up?" Sarah asked, wrapping her arms around his neck in a tight hug.

Hugging back, Jacob answered, "Alright, I guess. There are a lot of names on this list. I'm beginning to think that if we call all of them, Chris would be picked up within minutes."

"Let me help, then," Sarah replied, sitting next to him and taking out her own cell phone. "We'll get through the list quicker that way."

"Is there anything we can do?" Michael asked, Andrew coming to stand next to him.

After thinking for a moment, Jacob suggested, "Well, Daph went to check some of Chris' favorite places. Maybe you two could try covering the neighborhood."

"I can't believe she wasn't even going to call us," Sarah exclaimed suddenly, the use of her daughter's name reminding her of her anger. "She was just going to let this whole night pass without even telling us. She really doesn't consider us family anymore."

"Sarah, don't start…this isn't the time, and I'm sure Daphne will be happy to have us with her when she gets back," Michael said, looking at his wife with concern.

His own frustration building, Jacob retorted, "Will she, Dad? All I know is, I just tried to talk to her before, and we ended up yelling at each other! After we find Chris, she's going to push us all away even more than she did six years ago."

"Maybe, but we still have to be there for her," Michael argued.

Glaring at him, Sarah replied, "Do we, Michael? Because I for one am getting sick of this. She's our daughter, and I'll always love her, but I'm beginning to think we should just let her abandon us like she so desperately wants to." While her son and husband looked on in complete surprise, she got up from the table and began pacing the small kitchen. "How many times did we try to reach her after Chris' death, huh? But whatever we did was never enough. I don't think we'll _ever_ be enough for whatever she thinks she needs."

At that point she was breathing heavy from her anger, staring at the others in the kitchen as if daring the to argue. After losing her son-in-law and emotionally losing her daughter, Sarah couldn't keep her feelings inside any longer. "Ever since Daphne stopped talking to us, I've been praying so hard that she'd find her way back. But I'm beginning to think that we were meant to lose her, just like we were meant to lose Chris in the attacks."

"You can't give up on her, Sarah."

Andrew's quiet statement made the other three stare at him. The man hadn't said a word since they all got to the house. "That's nice of you to defend her, but I don't think I can do anything else," Sarah confessed.

"Still, you can't give up on her. None of you can," Andrew insisted. "You've all suffered so much since Chris' death. You took him into your family, regarded him as one of your own, only to have him taken away in a sudden and horrific act of violence. So far, you've let your grief dictate your actions. It's not too late to let that grief fade."

While his parents seemed stunned by the words, Jacob demanded, "How could you know all this, Andrew? You don't know us, our family. Yet ever since I've met you, I've got the impression that you think you know everything about us. But you don't, you can't, and your judgments are starting to get on my nerves."

Andrew gave them all an apologetic frown. "I am not here to judge, and I'm deeply sorry for giving that impression."

The way Andrew had phrased his response made a shiver go down Sarah's back. A quick glance at her husband proved he was having the same feeling. "Then…" she began, looking Andrew in the eye. "…why are you here?"

"Because I am an angel of God," Andrew answered. As he spoke, a golden glow emanated from him, and his clothes were replaced with a beige suit. "Here to help you all regain someone you are very close to losing. While I am an Angel of Death, and usually sent to help humans return to their heavenly Father, I have been assigned to this case to prevent an emotional death from occurring."

"Dear Lord," Michael whispered in awe.

Sarah was sure her eyes couldn't be more wide. In the few days since she had known him, she had come to regard Andrew as a wise and kind young man. But here he was surrounded by a golden glow, telling them all that he was an angel, and was probably much older than he appeared to be. "Oh my God…y-you're an Angel of Death?" she finally managed to say.

"Yes, I am. But don't worry, no one is going to die. On this assignment I was sent more as a caseworker angel than anything else," Andrew assured her.

Despite the situation, Jacob found himself chuckling. "Oh, man, and I was convinced you had it bad for that Monica chick. Sorry about that. I'm guessing angel-human relationships aren't exactly encouraged?"

"Monica isn't human either," Andrew answered, causing all of them to let out surprised gasps. "But the relationship would still be forbidden. Besides, as I told you earlier, I only think of her as one of my best friends."

Michael put a comforting arm around his startled wife as he asked, "You, Monica…exactly how many angels are on this 'case'?"

"Four. Me, Monica, Tess…and Gloria, who I don't think you've met," Andrew replied with a smile. "If I'm not mistaken, Monica is talking with Daphne as we speak."

"Then good luck, Monica," Jacob muttered, earning himself glares from his parents.

"Jacob!" Sarah chided.

Shrugging, Jacob explained, "You think my sister is going to be happy with whatever Monica has to say to her? Then again, who knows. Maybe it will take an angel of God to get through to Daphne."

"Actually, Monica was sent to give Daphne some of the same message I've been told to give to you," Andrew said. "A message of forgiveness. You've all been hurt by Daphne's actions, and some of yours have hurt her, even if it wasn't your intention. You all need to forgive her, and forgive yourselves."

"But how? She makes it so hard," Jacob argued.

His eyes filled with sympathy, Andrew explained, "God understands how hard it is for His children to forgive others when they believe they have been wronged. But He encourages them to forgive anyway, because really, does hanging on to anger and hurt feelings ever benefit anyone? By first opening yourselves to forgiveness, you can start working towards that close relationship with Daphne you all want so much. I was sent here to make you realize that if you do not do this now, you risk losing her forever."

Tears were falling down Sarah's face. But she couldn't wipe them away since she was holding on to her husband with all her might. "N-no," she whispered. "I'm sorry for what I said before! I am! I do want my daughter back! And I can forgive her and myself if I try…but what if that's not enough?'

"That is the other part of my message," Andrew answered. "To remind you to be patient and understanding, two values of endless importance. Daphne will come around in her own time, and you need to be waiting for her with open arms."

Michael shook his head in agreement. "I will, I promise. Maybe I haven't been trying my hardest to practice those values in the past, but that will change."

"The same goes for me," Sarah agreed.

After a moment, Jacob nodded. "And me."

Then the glowing ceased, and Andrew was once again standing before him dressed in the outfit he had been wearing all night. "Good, because I know for a fact that Chris would be heartbroken if his family suffered irreparable heartbreak because of his death."

"You met Chris?" Jacob asked, slightly surprised by Andrew's sudden change in appearance.

Andrew sighed. "Yes. I was the Angel of Death who took him home to his heavenly father."

"You were?" Sarah gasped. "I think you should tell Daphne that."

"No need. I think Monica has everything under control," Andrew assured her.

"I hope so," Sarah replied. With that, Andrew told them that he would be staying for a while longer, and the three humans seemed to remember at once that their original purpose for being there was to find little Chris. So, while Michael and Andrew went off to search, Sarah and her son stayed behind and began making phone calls.


	11. Chapter 10

A/N: Well, this little story certainly turned out to be longer that I thought it would be. It's been fun, though, and I think I really may turn this into a series. Thanks to Yva and Lauren for reviewing, and all others who read this.

So enjoy the last chapter! Epilogue soon to come!

* * *

**Chapter 10**

"Stay close to me, Fi," Adriana said, holding onto her daughter's hand. Now that they were nearing the library, she could see through the windows that all the lights were off, except for the ones that lighted the children's area and the main room. And as far as she could tell from the voices coming from within, Chris was alone with the librarian and teacher. While she had nothing against Tess, she had her suspicions about Gloria, and none of them were good.

Letting out a deep breath, she pushed open the doors and made her way in, Fiona at her side. "Hello?" she called. "Chris? Tess?"

"They're in the kid's room," Fi replied before anyone could come into view.

Adriana paused, looking down at her daughter with confusion. "How could you know that? They could be in the back, or…"

"Adriana?" Tess asked as she came out of the children's area, Gloria and Chris trailing after her. "Fi? What are you two doing here?"

Raising at eyebrow, Adriana glanced at her daughter in surprise before answering, "I was driving home, and Fi spotted the lights on and Chris walking in with you two. We were wondering if something was wrong and if we could help."

"Oh, everything's fine," Gloria assured her.

Tess nodded in agreement. "Yes. There were some…minor problems at home, and he ran away, ending up here."

"Chris?" Adriana asked, crouching down to the child's eye level. "Are you okay, sweetie?"

A tear rolling down Chris' cheek, he replied, "Yeah. Mommy and Uncle Jacob were fighting, so I ran away. But I miss Mommy now. It's fine, though, because Tess and Miss Gloria said that she's gonna be here soon."

"We called the house, but Jacob was there. Daphne was out looking for Chris, so he's going to call her and give her the message that Chris is here," Tess explained.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Adriana said, "Oh, okay then. But maybe I should stick around anyway until Daphne comes."

"You can stay as long as you want," Gloria offered.

"If you are staying," Tess said, glancing down at Chris. "…then Chris, baby, why don't you go into the kid's room? I need to speak with them for a short moment."

Her eyes widening in understanding, Gloria turned to follow him. "Maybe I should…"

"Oh no, you're not going anywhere," Tess ordered, pulling Gloria back.

Gloria hesitated before she argued, "B-But shouldn't I…you know…talk to Chris?"

"You will, in a few minutes," Tess assured her. "But for now you're staying here."

Looking at the exchange with total confusion, Adriana tried to make sense of this. "Okay, what's going on?" Adriana demanded, keeping the hostility out of her voice for Fiona's sake. "Don't think I didn't notice your little disappearing act. How could you possibly be _here_ after you were at the meeting hall no more than ten minutes ago?"

"You'd be surprised, baby," Tess answered, not put off in the least by the accusations.

Adriana let out an aggravated sigh. "That doesn't answer my question. Who…who _are_ you?"

"They're angels, Mommy," Fiona interrupted.

Groaning, Adriana glanced down at her daughter. "For the last time, Tess and Gloria are _not_ – "

"Look!" Fiona squealed, pointing at the two women with a delighted expression on her face.

"Fiona, it's rude to point…" Adriana trailed off as she looked back at Tess and Gloria. Her heart pounding, she gasped, "Oh my God."

Standing before her were Tess and Gloria, but not like she'd ever seen them before. They were both suddenly wearing all-white outfits. There was a soft golden glow around each of them.

Adriana blinked a few times and wiped her eyes. The two…angels were still there. "Fiona was right," she whispered. "Y-you both are...but how? Oh, Gloria, I'm so sorry, I-I…"

"It's alright, Adriana. You were watching out for your daughter. There was no way you could have known that she spoke the truth," Gloria assured her.

Shaking her head, Adriana asked, "But how could Fiona have known? Or better yet, why did you tell her who you really were?"

"To answer your last question, well, there was a _small_ lapse in judgment on my part," Gloria answered, blushing from embarrassment.

Tess gave her a stern look. "You can say that again. But everything worked out – Andrew's handling his case, and Monica's talking to Daphne right now. Thank the Father for that, little angel."

"I will," Gloria promised, her face still a deep shade of red. "Can I…?"

Waving a dismissive hand, Tess said, "Yes, you can go now."

As Gloria headed towards the children's room, Adriana stared after her, bewildered by what she'd witnessed. The two were angels, yet they seemed so…human. Tess appeared to be Gloria's mentor of some kind. Realizing that Tess noticed her staring, she explained, "I-I'm sorry, it's just…I've never imagined that angels could act so human."

"Oh, yes, angels and humans share many of the same qualities," Tess replied, a tone of frustration still in her voice. "…like a finite amount of patience. I love Gloria with all my heart, but sometimes that little angel can get on my last nerve. All I can say is, thank the Father that Monica's her supervisor and not me."

"Miss Monica is Miss Gloria's boss?" Fiona asked.

Tess hesitated. "Well, I don't know about 'boss.' Angelic supervisors are more like…guides for other angels with less experience. I've been Monica's supervisor for years now."

That was the third time that Tess mentioned Monica's true identity, and she'd also mentioned Andrew. Adriana couldn't believe it. She'd met four angels in the past week, and two of them were her daughter's substitute teachers. Overwhelmed, she perched on a nearby display table for support.

With Tess and Fiona staring at her, Adriana began to notice that her daughter wasn't surprised by the turn of events at all. Sure, Fiona was excited – she'd looked at the light around Tess and Gloria with awe on her face. But she hadn't been shocked like her mother. Slowly it dawned on her that Fiona had been able to point out the angels the day they arrived, while everyone else remained in the dark. "You're here about Fiona, aren't you?" Adriana finally managed to ask Tess, pulling her daughter into her arms.

Nodding, Tess answered, "Yes, baby. Fiona has been given a gift not many others posses."

"I have?" Fiona replied, her smile wide.

Holding Fiona close to her, Adriana asked, "W-What kind of 'gift'?"

"The ability to see angels when they are in their angel form and generally aren't seen by humans," Tess explained, also with a smile. "When they are in their human form, she can see the light around them that identifies them as angels."

Fiona nodded. "Uh huh. And I get a warm feeling from them too."

"Fiona, sweetie?" Adriana asked, looking down at her daughter. "Why didn't you tell me you were seeing and feeling this?"

"I did – you didn't believe me," Fiona argued.

Adriana sighed, guilt growing inside her, not helped by the look Tess was giving her. True, she hadn't believed her daughter, but that was when Fiona just said that the people surrounding her were angels. Adriana liked to believe that had she known about the light and 'warm feeling' she would've been a little more understanding. "I know. And I'm very sorry. From now on, when you say that someone is an angel, I'll believe you."

"Thanks, Mommy," Fiona said, hugging her mother with relief.

"As for you, Adriana…" Tess began.

Wincing at the words, Adriana pleaded, "Tess, I'm so sorry. About everything. Tell God I'm sorry about my mistrust of Gloria, and I hope…"

"He knows. And you are forgiven. But that wasn't what I was going say," Tess replied. "As for you, you are given the responsibility of nurturing Fiona's gift. Advise her, guide her, help her make the tough decisions that are sure to come with such a gift."

Adriana gave her a reassuring smile. "Of course I will."

"I feel I should warn you. Given the conditions of Fiona's gift, you'll find yourself coming in contact with angels quite a bit. You might even see me, Monica, Andrew, or Gloria again," Tess said.

"I guess we'll have to get used to it," Adriana sighed. Then she blinked a few times again when Tess' glowing ceased, and her clothes were returned to normal. "Though I don't know if I'll ever get used to _that_."

Chuckling, Tess replied, "I'm sure you will. Now, Fiona, why don't you go and check on Chris? I bet he could use someone to talk to after his chat with Gloria."

"Okay," Fiona agreed, running into the children's room before her mother could stop her.

And Adriana would have stopped her. Standing next to a real angel was incredibly intimidating, and she wasn't sure if she would be able to hold her own without her daughter in the room. "So I guess you have to go now?"

"Not just yet. I have a short message for you first," Tess answered. When Adriana visibly trembled, she added, "Calm down, baby. Angels are here to help you, not intimidate you."

Feeling foolish, Adriana asked, "What is this message? More about Fi?"

Tess shook her head. "No. About…what happened earlier at the meeting."

"Oh?" Adriana replied with surprise at the unexpected answer.

"Baby, God is _so_ proud of you for how you handled yourself after your sister went to her heavenly home," Tess began. "But He is also sorry that you blame Him for Phoebe's death."

Adriana couldn't keep the glare from her face. "But He _did_ cause it! She was never early for _anything_, and she wouldn't normally have been on the floor she was…it was all one horrible coincidence after another. Phoebe didn't do anything to deserve that! She was eighteen! She couldn't have!"

"Phoebe also had free will!" Tess reminded her. "All humans do! She chose to get a job at the World Trade Center. She chose to work on Tuesday mornings. She chose to get up early that day. She chose to get to work early, and she chose to spend her free time visiting her friends."

Now giving the angel an angrier glare, Adriana accused, "So you're saying that my sister _deserved_ to die in those attacks because of the choices she made?"

"No, I'm trying to tell you that it was Phoebe's decisions that led her to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Please, don't blame God, or anyone else for that matter. But ask Him for the strength to accept Phoebe's decisions," Tess answered. Though there was emphasis on her words, no time during her message had she raised her voice in argument.

Adriana held back the tears in her eyes, trying to accept the message. For a long time she _had_ blamed God for losing Phoebe. But she could not deny the sense in Tess' words. "I'm sorry," she finally cried, the tears freely falling down her face as she once again leaned on the angel for support.

* * *

Chris sat at a table in the children's room reading a book. Reading helped keep his mind off how much he missed his mother and hoped she would pick him up soon. 

Though while he tried to focus on the book, he kept looking towards the door of the room. Tess, Miss Gloria, Mrs. Giambelli and Fi were still out there talking, and he had to admit he was curious what was going on. Yes, he was used to grown-ups having conversations without him, but that was when they wanted to talk about grown-up stuff. Fi was with them now, and he was wondering why he couldn't have stayed.

Shaking his head, he began to wonder if his mother and uncle were still arguing. He didn't understand why his mother hated Uncle Jacob, Grandma and Grandpa so much. When they came to visit him, the few times they did, they seemed nice. They weren't strangers to him, but at the same time he didn't know them as well as his mother. In fact, he didn't know _anyone_ as well as his mother. People came and went, but in the end, only his mother would stay. He was beginning to think maybe there was something wrong with him that people wanted to stay away from.

Which is partly why he didn't talk to other kids much. In the end, they always went away. And the other part…he just didn't think he could. Without his mother there next to him, he didn't feel safe. He worried that he would end up hurt, then she wouldn't be there to make him feel better. Not to mention that he knew he was just _shy_, and without anyone to push him, he'd much rather stay by himself.

Hearing someone approach, he glanced up. "Fi, what's going…on…" He trailed off, seeing who it was. "Oh, hi, Miss Gloria."

"Hi, Chris. How are you doing?" Gloria asked, sitting down next to him at the table.

Chris shrugged, his eyes now back down on his book. "Good. I want my mommy."

"She'll be here soon. I promise," Gloria replied, giving him a kind smile. "Are you sure there isn't anything you want to talk about?"

Staring at Gloria, Chris tried not to scowl. He wished she would just stay away from him, so he wouldn't be hurt when she left. "No. Get out," he answered, tears threatening to spill.

Gloria seemed shocked for a moment, as if he'd hurt her feelings. "Chris, surely you don't mean that."

"I mean it. Just go away," Chris retorted, using all his will power not to look at her.

Leaning over so that she was more in his line of vision, Gloria pressed, "Why do you want me to go away? Have I hurt you? If I have, I'm really sorry."

"No. But you will," Chris assured her.

Gloria shook her head. "No, I promise I will never do anything to purposely hurt you. Why are you so afraid I will?"

"Because you care about me," Chris explained, as if it were an obvious fact. "That means that you're going to go away. Just like Uncle Jacob, Grandma, and Grandpa. And then I'll be alone again."

Taking his hands in hers, Chris was alarmed to see that Miss Gloria had tears in her eyes. Not bothering to wipe them away, she said, "Oh, Chris, sweetie, you're never alone."

"Of course I am," Chris said slowly, wondering if she just wasn't understanding him.

"No, you aren't," Gloria insisted. "God is always with you. He loves you so much…which is why He sent you one of His angels."

Then Gloria changed. Her clothes were white, and she was _glowing_.

Chris' eyes widened. "Y-you're an angel?" All of a sudden he wanted his mother ten times more than he had five minutes ago. He wanted to hide behind her and hope that Gloria wouldn't be able to see him. But he was on his own.

"Yes," Gloria answered. "Don't be afraid, Chris."

"And you're here for _me_?" Chris replied, not sure if he was hearing and seeing right. He wasn't anyone special. Why would an angel be sent to him?

Gloria nodded. "Yes. I'm here to remind you that no matter how alone you think you are, God will _always_ be there. When it seems like no one cares about you, know that God never stops caring."

Raising an eyebrow, Chris tried to believe what he was hearing. "But how do I know that? I can't see Him."

"He is everywhere," Gloria insisted. "Including your heart. Love God with all your heart, and he will love you back. He will take care of you, Chris. Put your faith in Him and cast your fears and doubts aside."

Chris hesitated, but he had to admit that not being afraid anymore sounded good. "So…you're saying that if I want to talk to other kids, God will be there for me, even if they don't want to talk to me?"

Giving him an encouraging smile, Gloria answered, "He will, always. But know that even if others look down on you, you are a child of God, which means you are special. Have confidence that you are wonderful just as you are now."

"I don't think I am. No one notices me," Chris argued.

"God does," Gloria replied, sincerity in her voice. "But as for others who may not, you have to make them notice you. Speak up for yourself. Tell everyone what you think. Be yourself, and others will notice you in no time. But that won't happen if you don't make them."

Chris thought about everything he'd been told. Out of the whole message, his favorite part was that God was always with him. He wasn't alone anymore. Wiping his face, he stared in confusion at his wet hands. When had he started to cry? His voice a whisper, he remarked, "You should tell my mommy this. She thinks she's alone all the time, especially since I don't have a daddy like all the other kids."

"Don't worry, Chris. Another angel is now talking to your mother," Gloria assured him.

Smiling at that, Chris said, "That's good. I think Mommy needs an angel. But now that I think about it…why _don't_ I have a daddy like everyone else? Mommy argues with Uncle Jacob about him a lot, so I know I had one…why didn't I get to keep him? Did he not love me enough to stay?"

"No, of course that's not it. Your daddy loved you so much, Chris. He still does, and he watches you from Heaven," Gloria answered. "It was just his time to be with God. If he could, he would be here for you today. But you have so many other people on Earth who love you too."

"Yeah," Chris replied, the message finally getting through to him. Gloria seemed to really believe what she was saying, so maybe Chris should believe it too. And it felt good to believe it. Relief overcoming him, he hugged Gloria tightly. "Thanks, Miss Gloria."

"You're very welcome," Gloria chuckled, hugging him back.

As they parted, Chris noticed that the angel was no longer glowing, and was back in her regular clothes. Surprised, he said, "What happened to…"

"Chris!"

They both turned around to find Fiona running in. Once she reached them, she blurted, "Miss Gloria's an angel!"

Chris sighed. "I know, Fi."

"And she was glowing and…"

"I _know_, Fi."

"…and she was dressed in white, and…"

"I _know_, Fi!" Chris finally yelled while Gloria tried not to laugh. "She just showed me."

Fiona frowned with disappointment. "Oh." Determined to surprise Chris with some bit of information, she added, "Did you know that Tess, Miss Monica, and Andrew are angels too?"

Now _that_ he hadn't known. "Really?"

"Uh huh," Fi answered. "And I can see them, too."

Tilting his head, Chris glanced at Gloria then back to Fiona. "So can I. Big deal."

"No, I mean that I can see them when they don't look like humans. When they're usually invisible," Fiona explained.

When Chris looked to Gloria for confirmation, the angel nodded. "Yes, she can. It's a special gift she was given."

Chris stared at Fiona for a long moment, then shrugged. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad to have a friend who could see angels. "Oh. Cool."

* * *

Meanwhile, back at the park, Monica still sat on the bench with Daphne. "Please, it's really alright…" 

"No," Daphne insisted. "I threatened to report you to the school board, for crying out loud. I can't apologize enough. In fact, I'm surprised you still wanted to stick around."

Monica let out a deep sigh. While she appreciated the apology – after all, knowing that your assignment hates you is never an easy one to swallow – she wasn't sure if Daphne meant it. She had a feeling this sudden regret might come from embarrassment, not a sincere change of heart. "Daphne, you are my assignment. I care about you very much."

"Well, then, you're the only one," Daphne remarked, leaning back against the bench.

"Of course I'm not. You have your son. Along with your brother and parents," Monica replied.

"My brother and parents don't care about me. Really, you'd think an angel would be on top of this information," Daphne joked lightly, but lowered her eyes at the concerned look the angel gave her. "Sorry. But it's true."

Shaking her head, Monica argued, "Daphne, how can you be so blind to the love your family has for you? Can't you see that all they've tried to do for you?"

"Oh yeah, I've seen. I've seen my parents neglect me during my pregnancy because Jacob claimed to need their help more. I've seen them tell me I'm irrational for having hope that my husband could have been alive. I've seen them let me go and not really try to reconnect these past years. And now I've seen their disappointment in me for letting my feelings affect my son," Daphne ranted, clenching her fists to calm herself down.

"Well, now I'll tell you what you haven't seen," Monica replied, undeterred by her assignment's speech. "From what I can tell, your family hasn't neglected you. Has it ever occurred to you that your brother couldn't help how he felt after you lost Chris? Jacob and your husband were rather close friends. And as for your parents, how do you think they felt? They were torn between a son and a daughter they both love equally."

She hesitated, giving Daphne a chance to argue. When there was only silence, Monica continued, "As for them telling you to 'give up' on Chris, they were only telling you to move on. They were worried that if you kept your hopes up you wouldn't be able to continue living your life. They were being realistic, as much as it may have hurt you. And maybe they didn't want to get _their_ hopes up, knowing that the odds of ever finding Chris if he were still alive were slim to none.

"And Daphne, remember that your family is human too. They have feelings. You kept pushing them away, and they can only push back so hard before they become frustrated. The reason I'm here is to remind you that you need to consider the feelings and views of others. In doing so, I bet you'd feel hurt a lot less."

There was silence again. Finally, Daphne cleared her throat and wiped her eyes. "So you're saying that this is all my fault. That I'm some horrible self-centered person."

"No, no," Monica sighed. She hadn't meant it that way. It seemed like every word she said around this woman got her in trouble. "I'm just trying to tell you that this rift was caused by both you and your family, not just your family. You need to learn to let things _go_ and forgive. And maybe see why you should ask others to forgive you."

Instead of arguing, Daphne let out a deep breath and said with a calm voice, "Well, Mom always did say I had a stubborn streak. I think I'm beginning to realize that maybe that's not the great asset I thought it was." Her eyes lowered, she added, "But it's too late. I've already done such a terrible job raising my son."

"You haven't. You were just doing what you thought was best. And it's not too late," Monica insisted.

Daphne raised an eyebrow at that. "It's not?"

"Let's just say that I have a feeling that Gloria is having a little chat with Chris as we speak," Monica answered with a smile.

"And here I was thinking that she was some kind of nut," Daphne chuckled. Then her eyes widened in horror. "Oh, God! I threatened to report angels to the school board! I'm so sorry…"

"It's alright, all is forgiven. I only ask that you forgive your family as well," Monica reminded her.

Daphne nodded. Then after a moment of thinking asked, "Monica, would it be out of line for me to ask you something?"

Curious, Monica answered, "No, go ahead."

"Before, you mentioned my late husband, Chris," Daphne replied with some hesitation. "I know this is ridiculous, and deep in my heart I've known the answer to this for years, but…did Chris really die in the attacks? While part of me always hopes that I'll somehow see him again,, but then the other part…I think it would kill me to know that he's been alive all these years and not with us."

Giving her a sad smile, Monica replied, "It's perfectly okay to feel like that. And to answer your question…yes, Chris did go home to his heavenly Father in the attacks. In fact, Andrew was the Angel of Death to take him home. If you want to know anything about Chris' final moments, I'm sure he'd be happy to tell you."

Daphne didn't say anything for a moment, staring at Monica with a mixture of surprise and relief. Tears welling in her eyes, she gasped, "Oh, God. Thank you. Thank you so much. I've been waiting to hear that."

When it seemed as if the woman might break down, Monica put a comforting arm around her shoulders. But Daphne shrugged her off and gave her a weak smile. "Thank you for everything, but I really want to find my son now. Please, where is he?"

"At the library. I'll go with you," Monica offered. Her clothes changing back to normal, the angel got up and followed her assignment out of the park.


	12. Epilogue

A/N: Yeah, I know, quite a lot of revelations in the past two chapters. But when I planned this out, I wasn't sure if I would be creating sequels. And it was getting pretty long already when I wanted it to be a quick little story. At least this way, all the revelations are cleared for future stories.

So, as you may have guessed, I'm definitely going to turn this into a series. While this may not be my most successful story review wise by far, I've had fun writing for the Touched By An Angel section. Plus, I have to say I've fallen in love with these characters, and I can't just leave them, never to be written about again. However, it might be a while – I have "Reba" and "Charmed" stories to finish off first. Though if I grow impatient, I may just start the next installment while I work on finishing my "Charmed" story.

That said, thank you for the reviews, and reading the story. Enjoy the epilogue!

* * *

**Epilogue**

On the Monday after the night of the meeting, the four angels stood unseen in the side yard of the elementary school. It was early morning, and Tess watched as the children boarded the bus that would take them on the fieldtrip to a nearby zoo. The class' regular teacher returned just in time, and was at the moment standing near the entrance of the bus making sure every child had his or her permission slip signed.

"Well, angel babies," Tess said, a proud smile on her face. "I'd call this assignment officially over. You all did a wonderful job."

"Thanks, Tess," Gloria replied, the other angels nodding in agreement.

Shrugging, Andrew remarked, "I don't know if I would say that this is _over_, though."

"What do you mean?" Monica asked.

Narrowing her eyes, Tess put in, "Do you know something we don't, angel boy?"

"No, no," Andrew assured her with a chuckle. "I just mean…I don't think that this is the last we'll see of Chris and his family."

The group fell into silence for a moment, contemplating the idea of dealing with this particular family of humans another time. If Tess were to be honest, she would admit that she was getting that feeling too. "Well, maybe."

"You never know what the Father has in His plans," Monica added, her head tilted to the side in thought.

Her eye on Fiona and Chris, Gloria confessed, "Though I hope when that does happen, I don't have to lose at Candyland again."

As she laughed along with the two older angels, Tess returned her attention to the scene she had been watching. Most of the children had already boarded the bus, leaving Fiona, Chris, and each of their mothers alone in the yard. She moved closer so she could hear the conversation, with the other angels following. Just as they approached, the teacher abandoned her station at the bus door and walked towards the two mothers.

Adriana gave the teacher a warm smile. "Hi, Judy. So glad to have you back. How was the wedding?"

"It's good to be back," Judy Wilson replied, nodding to Daphne in greeting. "I'm sorry I left so abruptly. And the wedding was fantastic, by the way." Her gaze resting on Daphne, she said, "I hope the substitute didn't give you too much trouble."

To the teacher's surprise, Daphne chuckled. "Not at all. In fact, you could say she was a real angel."

"Her assistant, too," Adriana said with a knowing smile.

Staring at the two women, Judy remarked, "You two seem more friendly than I remember. I have to say, I was shocked when I got your message last night, Daphne. I never thought you'd be willing to let _anyone_ else chaperone a field trip, never mind…"

Daphne's smile widened as she put an arm around Adriana's shoulders. "Well, I've had a proverbial wake up call over the last week. While Adriana and I aren't best friends…yet…we've had a long talk and resolved some of our old issues. I trust the woman enough to chaperone a field trip."

"Thank you very much. I won't let you down," Adriana replied. Stepping away from the two women, she almost bumped into Tess as she went over to where her daughter and Chris were talking. "Come on, Fi, or the bus will leave without you."

But Fiona wasn't paying attention to her mother. Throughout the course of the morning, Tess had noticed the child's numerous glances in the angels' direction. _She's such an amazing child. I'm sure she'll do wonders with her gift,_ Tess thought, waving good-bye, Monica, Andrew and Gloria doing the same.

Fiona pointed them out to her confused mother and waved back, a huge grin on her face. Bewildered for a second, Adriana's eyes widened in realization. Rather than wave like her daughter and risk looking foolish in front of the teacher, she merely gave them a small smile and nod in acknowledgement. With that, she herded Fiona towards the bus, climbing in after her child.

"Do you think they'll be okay?" Gloria asked with concern.

Thinking about the question for only a brief moment, Tess answered, "I'm sure it won't be easy, but…I wouldn't worry about them, little angel."

Then the teacher boarded the bus as well, leaving Daphne and Chris alone in the yard. Daphne was bent down to her son's eye level. "Are you sure you'll be okay?"

"I'll be fine, Mom," Chris answered, a note of exasperation. "I have God with me. Miss Gloria said so."

Daphne chuckled, wrapping him in a tight hug. "Yes, you do. And I promise I will be here the second you get back. Just stay with Fi and her mother the whole time, promise?"

"I promise," Chris sighed, looking like he was trying very hard not to roll his eyes. "Can I go now, please? The bus is gonna leave."

Smiling at her son with pride, Daphne nodded. "Yes. I love you, Chris."

"I love you too, Mom. See you after school," Chris called as he climbed the steps of the bus, the doors closing behind him.

Daphne stood alone, watching as the bus left the school. Giving a deep sigh, she adjusted her pocket book and turned to go back to her car. She nearly jumped when she noticed the angels appear before her. "Oh!" she said with happy surprise. "I didn't realize that you four were here. I thought you'd be long gone by now."

"We just wanted to check up on everyone one more time before we left," Tess assured her. "How are you doing, Daphne?"

Daphne shrugged. "Alright. After Friday night, I came home to find my parents and brother waiting. We talked through almost the whole night. While our relationship is not perfect by far, we're working on it. And we're planning on going to family therapy."

"And you and Adriana? When did that happen?" Monica asked.

"The next day," Daphne answered. "Chris told me how Adriana found him at the library. I felt like I owed her for checking up on him, so I went to her house to thank her. We got to talking, resolved some of our old issues – which were mostly petty anyway – and realized that we got along quite well."

Smiling, Gloria replied, "That's good. Chris and Fi really get along well."

Daphne nodded. "Yes, they do. Um…" She hesitated, looking at Gloria with regret in her eyes. "By the way, I'm sorry for how I treated you. And Monica."

"It's alright," Gloria said.

Looking at all of them, Daphne gave them a grateful smile. "And I want to thank all of you. From talking with my family and Adriana, I know what parts each of you played in this. Thank you so much. Because of you, Chris is going to grow up with his family around."

"It was our pleasure, baby," Tess replied.

Daphne turned to Andrew. "And you. I can't thank you enough for being there for Chris when he passed away. It's a relief knowing he wasn't alone."

Wearing a modest smile, Andrew replied, "You're welcome."

"Well, I suppose I better be off to work then," Daphne said. "Good-bye."

And with that she went to her car, got in the driver's seat, and waved as she pulled away from the sidewalk. As the angels disappeared from the school yard, a white dove flew over the town and into the distance.


End file.
